Out of All The Reps in Florida he's One of Them Cigar Hustlers Podcast Episode 326
Transcript
Everybody stand by in the street
is in the house.
Here he is the controversial,
the legendary.
It's my girlfriend.
Make way for the king, son.
Can't be.
Stopped shooting my.
Shot another Mike and Mike
production in 333. 221. 110.
All right, we got you.
Ready.
We got Pete Hernandez in the
studio.
First time ever.
Was he in the Were you in the
original studio?
He's been on before, so he's
been upstairs.
I've been.
On.
Before Hey, you want this?
Tatwaji must have stole these
out of his box.
There it is.
Would you like a scarf?
It'd be nice, you know, I mean.
I have this box here.
When in Rome, right?
Oh, nice.
It's got one, it's.
Got one tooth holding this thing
down?
Yeah.
That still works.
Mike, he's got such a nice cigar
box there.
You know that lovely Yeah.
Make.
Sure, you get that back beat.
He's got all he's got all the
Dunbarton separated in like a
separate bag.
Well, it's just very
professional worked out.
Yeah.
He doesn't want them to touch
the others.
Yeah.
We don't play, don't want them
to touch the Aladinos.
Don't play nice.
He'll beat up the Aladinos.
They got him by a few grams.
Different weight class.
Different weight class, that's.
A fucking rule.
Oh boy.
What did you think you were
walking into Buddies?
It was going to be fucking.
It was going to be light
hearted.
What does?
I'm curious, what does Pete pick
out of Pete's own box?
You know what I am going to
pick?
You have to talk into this black
thing.
Oh, there you go.
Gosh.
That the first time you're
losing.
Yeah, just today.
It's the first time today.
Let's see.
Yeah, you know what?
I I'm more of a medium body guy,
so bless you.
So out of my brands, I find
myself smoking.
I like the number 7th with that
Wahi Capas Peciale.
I like the natural from
Tatooaheo by the way.
I got a lot of those samples so
I I get yeah, I smoked the the
Nuevitas Nuevitas and it's nice
medium body, smooth.
It's great flavor.
With Aladino, I typically smoke
the classic or the natural, the
Corojo, the Maduro.
Lately I really like the the
vintage Rothschilds.
Good size, lots of flavor.
Over there, can't be over.
There.
Oh, there you go.
Oh yeah.
A lot of flavor.
And I know.
Yeah, that's.
Right.
It's a podcast.
It's.
A podcast, right?
Audio.
Video.
You're used to just calling in,
that's the problem and it's it's
early morning for you.
So you know like you haven't,
you haven't had a good beverage
yet.
You're still going to.
No, it's kind of, it's kind of
getting going.
Right.
That's right.
And with Dunbarton, man, you
know what?
I hardly ever smoke a brulee.
Really.
Yeah.
Just not a Connecticut guy, I.
Think that's one of the best
things I make.
I one of the best things I I saw
the most of, but I'm more of.
I hinge back and forth between
Mikarita and Sober Mesa.
Which Mikarita?
The blue.
The Turkey.
Chocolate is just really heavy
for me.
I've had it doesn't.
I don't mind having it after
dinner, but it's usually A1 and
done.
You know that's that's a lot of
flavor.
It's a lot, man.
Really.
Yeah, for me it's just a lot.
So I just like to keep it in the
middle, you know?
Keep it in the middle, Yeah, you
don't want to hit the edges.
No, I just want to get right in
the setting.
Hot dog down the hallway.
When it comes to that, I like to
beat up the sides.
You like to get the sides.
Yeah, I come off the top rope.
I'm not hitting back here.
I come off the top rope and bang
the sides, Yeah.
Love that.
So are you excited for PCA?
Let's start there.
You know, I every year I go
through all the emotions.
You know, partially part of me
doesn't, you know, we're like,
oh fuck, we gotta go to Vegas
again, right?
She's the same freaking idiots
that we see every year.
And I don't mean the.
I don't mean the clients.
I mean, yeah, which I, you know,
most of them I like.
There's a couple that you know,
I like to stare down walk by
them and you know, fucking Dick,
not under my breath.
So he could read my lips, but I
won't say it.
And then you see, then you, you
see your customers, right?
And then when you're doing
business.
And then the real cool part is
when you see guys that you only
see once a year.
Yeah, you know.
So you get to see them like
some, you get to see them on the
showroom floor, then you usually
like at the bar, you see them
leave and going to bed, and then
when they come out the next
morning, you still see them,
'cause you're still.
Having.
Then you just doing three times.
You.
Avoid the bar.
I've avoided the bar last couple
times, yeah.
I avoided.
You know what you have?
Because I saw you at the gym.
We worked out.
I was like, son of a bitch.
There's Pete.
So holy shit, get in a day
early.
We knock off the bar thing.
You.
Know we get that out of the way.
We get that out of the way on
Thursday.
Right.
Friday, you're kind of still
recuperating and acclimating to
the time and the heat and all
that crap.
And then Saturday, this is what
we came for.
Yeah, so I man, I that first
Saturday, for me it's like
walking out of the, out of the
tunnel with the smoke and the.
It's the Super Bowl.
Yeah, it's, it's my Super Bowl.
Yeah.
You do your little Ray Lewis
thing like a fancy, you know?
I did that the night before.
Yeah, but.
That's Thursday night.
So that's yeah, so and you know
as you go through it and then
when you're done that red eye
back is the best flight.
Yeah, thing always sucks.
I'm not taking that anymore.
Well, you know, it's the same.
It's all the Miami people and
you go in there and you know the
guys that killed it and then you
know, the the guys that didn't.
And I always act like I killed
it.
We always, yeah, fucking
amazing.
But we but it it typically is.
I mean, last year was our best
trade show ever.
The year before that was better
than last year.
I mean, are you saying by all
brands or just particular
brands?
You know, you it's hard to tell
because the dust, you know, the
dust didn't settle yet.
There's some that you know you
blew up with and then there's a
couple that maybe we'll see when
the dust settles, because you
really don't know until
everything ships.
You know, you can kind of see
what your numbers are, but but
yeah, last year it was
spectacular.
You know, spectacular.
Are you going to tell retailers
this year that they're just,
they're at, they're at the knee
of?
There was a guy last year that
you told him he was not a good
retailer.
We.
You're all.
No.
Abe is the master.
Abe is the master.
I did not and.
You were just.
You were just.
I did not say any of that.
I did.
Not say any of that.
You know what Abe came out with
this thing with the.
With the NFT and the concept of
it, when Abe explained it to me
because when he told me the you
know, the price, I'm thinking
that's kind of crazy.
And then as he went down and
explained how it worked, I just
thought it was the coolest
thing, which isn't surprising,
man.
Abe is definitely one of the
most creative retailers.
He is one of the hardest
working.
I mean, there's really not a, I
mean the thing there's not a lot
of bad you could say about him.
He's truly is, you know where
you stand with him, you know.
Guy's always been nice to me,
man.
You wish you could.
Can you?
Do you wish you could do more
business with him?
Yes.
But he explains to you why, why
you're not.
I I mean, you know, he's an open
books.
Really.
That's all you can ask for.
You know, he's, he's honest, you
know?
So we're all.
Just have I been screwed?
Have I been screwed?
Yeah, of course I have, bro.
I used to carry a brand and it
took me a couple years to get
him in, you know, to finally get
him to place an order.
He places an order for $4000 and
then some fucking pencil neck
comes out and says oh look that
oh you just brought that in.
Oh, I bought a box on Thompson
for nothing.
And their last box, dude, that
was when Thompson was on their
way off for that last box.
Fucking Abe sent that shit back
and I said bro, are you kidding
me?
And he said, dude, I'm not going
to buy some shit that's being
discounted online.
Smart.
And I'm like, no, not smart.
It was 1 box, yeah.
Fuck your bulls.
Get mad at him.
I'm not going to get mad at him.
And he carries it now.
Now he carries that same
freaking line, The guy with the
heavy accent that fucking made a
shitty pig out here and now you
know who carries it, right?
Don't say his name.
He had made the shitty pig, I
think.
You know what I'm.
Talking about.
The way that this is going, it
may be a Patreon.
I mean, who knows?
Oh yeah, it.
Could be alright, Listen.
Oh, you just drop that right now
and then we can say anything.
You.
Want.
And you know what?
If I'm speaking that way about
these guys, it's because I truly
love them.
Yeah, it's no ill will.
If I fucking you want to go down
that road, there's a handful of
guys that I'd like to get right.
Welcome to the Patriots.
Everyone.
Yeah, bro.
Tie in the back of the truck and
fucking run around the parking
lot a little bit.
Hell yeah.
You know, so they've been, I've
had a couple awesome experiences
with Pete.
Just kind of go.
I've.
I've known Pete for the fucking
duration 15 years of this whole
fucking bullshit being in this
industry.
And there was one time that we
were, we used to carry the
triple sevens in this fucking
store and Pete got fired as a
broker.
Always do you like you always
get.
They always break up with you.
They always, they.
Always.
It happens more to Pete, though,
than most.
People.
No, no, no.
I just hear him thank.
You more public.
Thanks Mike.
Thanks dude.
Dude, he just has.
More cigars, I've.
Been doing it for a while, you
know.
Go ahead, finish your story.
I mean, I could tell I was
telling you about one that got
happened last week.
Yes.
Yeah.
So.
And that wasn't Pete.
So no, no, no.
And he's another reputable
person in the in the industry.
So.
So we were carrying triple
sevens.
And then like, I think we were
just kind of like, yeah, we're
kind of over it and done.
And Pete was like, OK, cool.
So we walked by them in the
booth.
Oh, I know this story.
Yeah.
And Pete says, hey, so you
remember this guy?
And then fucking Pete took my
brother's badge.
He flipped it over.
He won't be doing fucking
business with you.
And then kept walking.
Of course, bro.
You gotta let them have it.
Yeah, absolutely.
They can't catch feelings.
I don't catch feelings when I
get fired, you know, or get
replaced.
You know, it's the game I play
and I'm well aware of that going
in.
Does it hurt?
Yeah, of course it hurts.
Especially of course.
You put a lot of work into this,
you.
Know.
Yeah, you bust your ass.
Well, dude, you get fucking
kicked in the Dick half the
time.
When you walk into retailers you
know how they they they're all
amazing.
They're so great.
They're great at what they do.
They couldn't tell you their
profit and loss margins.
They couldn't tell you what they
did in sales for that year with
your product.
They couldn't tell you anything.
But they're fucking amazing.
And.
Why do we want your cigar?
And and they can't pay their
bills.
That's the biggest one.
Mean with me?
Nobody gets away with that
because everything is a credit.
Card of course.
But what I'm saying is, oh hey,
your card is declined and then
they don't answer, right?
Because they know the cards.
I got the cell phones.
Me too.
I get through.
I get through.
You're you're.
Yeah, yeah.
I'm I I.
Get through.
You know me.
I'm just like.
I'll be like.
Just got a burner phone.
Yeah, no, I'll find a way to get
through and if not, I'll show
up, you know?
Yeah, it's disrespectful, you
know?
Don't do that to me.
They're shitty.
We're friends, bro.
Yeah, You know, obviously it's
not only about the business,
because if it was only, you'd be
buying more from me, right?
So it's not that it there is a
relationship and I understand if
you're going through a difficult
time.
I'm never trying to push more
than anything one can handle,
right, You know?
Just call me.
No, don't just tell me.
Can't.
Afford it.
Don't buy it.
Hey.
I've got it right now, man.
I don't.
Have it, bro.
I'll call you next week.
Call me.
Don't expect me to always
remember to call you, but call
me.
You know, it's a symbiotic
thing.
We're both trying to make money
here.
Exactly.
You know and and as a broker I
think it happens out as a shop
as well.
Sometimes you bring, you bring
in a brand too soon you bring in
a brand and it's not taking off.
You guys have three other 300
other brands that you need to
promote and then this might kind
of fall on the wayside.
It doesn't sell.
Guys aren't paying attention.
You have maybe the the
positioning of whatever it is,
right, and then guys aren't
smoking it and then you phase it
out and for you to bring that
brand back in, my number's about
three years, Takes about three
years for you to remember the
sting of that brand not selling
in your humidor and now maybe
you'll bring it back.
Sometimes it's not just three
years, it's a new face.
So as a broker, sometimes I
bring in a brand too soon that's
happened and and then it blows
up later, you know, it does
really well.
Later they change management,
they hire a new Rep and now it
does much better and sometimes
it does, sometimes it doesn't.
You know, look what happened
with Agonorsa.
You know, so.
I mean Terrence.
With Terrence, with Terrence got
got in there, they let up the
they let the whole team go and
well, let me tell you agonorsa
great tobacco.
But when we were there, when I
say we my brother and there's
another four or five other guys,
Mike Perales, Tom Poehler, Terry
Coleman, like.
This inner sanctum broker.
Yeah, these guys had the cigar
mafia practically on their team
and and the cigars, they just
kept making a lot of mistakes.
One of them, which I, you know,
I couldn't understand JFR that
was our, you know, that was like
a stronghold that's that was a
value price cigar that was in
every store and we were like
four months, six months without
shipping because we didn't have
the boxes.
Dude, nobody's buying that stuff
by the box.
They're buying by the handful
anyway, just ship bundles and
manufacturers want to see their
product in a certain way and and
I understand that too at the end
of the day it's, you know, it's
all three of us are trying to
make this thing happen and they
wouldn't ship until, you know
they received the boxes from
China and you lose market share.
You lose shelf on the, you know,
room on the shelf and and then
we're the ones at fault the
broker, somebody always has to
take the, somebody got to take
the hit.
I've asked manufacturers, So
what percentage of the success
of a brand do you think you own,
what percentage is the store and
what percentage is the broker
and some are 3030, thirty or
333333, some will tell you, no,
it's the store.
I mean, once you buy the
product, it's your
responsibility to sell it,
right?
Right.
And so then whose fault is it?
And.
And at some point, it's the
manufacturer's responsibility to
get people to walk in through
the door and.
Ask for it, yeah.
Ask for it, right.
At some point you carry a brand
for a couple years and I still
got to come here and and push it
and sell it to you and sell it
to your customers and talk about
it.
I mean, I don't mind doing that,
but at some point it's kind of,
it's kind of its own legs, it's
got to move on its own, right.
And so who owns that
responsibility?
I think in every situation it's
different.
But yeah, I've been known to
bring in a brand too soon and
and a couple years later you see
it kind of dies.
And I I'm, I will never not
assume responsibility for my
part of it.
But there's other two guys on
the team that are trying to move
this product and why, how come,
how come And then they'll tell
me.
But I'm growing in other markets
and I can tell you, well, I'm
growing with other brands,
right.
What's I mean?
Yeah, what's the difference?
Yeah, I mean.
What do you think?
What do you think?
I'm not offering your product or
maybe when I go there again and
I visit the customer and on that
second cycle and probably still
on the shelf, well then they're
not selling it.
Yeah, well, there's that.
And then, you know, again, we go
back to who?
Who's.
Responsible, right?
Who's responsible?
Who's responsible?
Right, right.
And then there are different
techniques.
You've got companies,
manufacturers that decide that
their show deal will be buy 150
boxes, get 50 free.
Sometimes that works.
They figure that when you cycle
through 150 boxes, something's
got a stick.
Some of the guys are going to
like it and some of the guys are
going to want to repeat it and
come back to it, appreciate the
price, see the value, and then
other guys, next year's trade
show, he still has a hundred
boxes of 150 he bought.
He's 2. 100 He's got 200.
He's got 200.
Yeah, yeah.
And I, you know, Oh my.
That shit didn't sell.
Did.
I take any of these back this
year.
You need to take some of these
back.
Dude, what?
Did you get a refund?
What did you do to sell it?
I mean, how?
Well, yeah, he didn't do
anything.
First thing you do is run.
You make 4 packs.
You put one of each one of the
free ones and you push that out
and you get it in people's
hands, cause your money's
invested in that, if that's what
you want to push.
Anyone could sell the big guys,
you know, everybody comes in
asking for Oliva, or come in and
ask him for Fuente.
No one's going to come and ask
him for tatoyhe.
They can't pronounce it.
Right.
They can't say the.
Word.
They can't even say the word.
But if the if the shop guy likes
it, if the owner is a big fan of
the product, then that's what
he's smoking and people will
come in and oh, what are you
smoking?
And that's the way it works, you
know?
Yeah, trickle down economics, I
guess, right?
Trickle down?
I don't know.
I have a question.
So you as a retailer because you
also own a brand?
Yes, Misery, mute that shit, God
damn it.
Damn, sorry.
You as a retailer, who do you
think you have a better
relationship with for sales or
just in general a broker or a
Rep that works for?
The brand.
It doesn't matter.
It's a.
Personality.
Yeah, that's irrelevant.
Yeah, In fact, sometimes you
have a better relationship with
the guy you hardly buy from.
Yeah, you have that.
That sucks, by the way.
That sucks.
That's being put in the friends
zone.
The proverbial friend zone.
Yeah, you know, you get to go,
you hang out.
They love seeing you.
You go to lunch at all.
Yeah, And then you walk out
fucking empty handed outside.
Didn't buy a damn damn.
Fucking, you know.
Hey, And that happens more often
than you wouldn't.
And you think I can't tell you
how often you hit the road.
And I'm on my third day, dude
and I visited you know, 1213
accounts and haven't sold
anything.
Right.
And you can't.
I mean, I'm writing orders.
I'm getting emails, You getting
orders, but you want to see
orders from the.
The ones that he's doing from
your work.
From walking in.
Right.
And they don't have space.
You still have product from the
last time, you know, you work
the humidor a little bit, but
you're there for two hours.
You meet maybe 6 customers that
that really doesn't move the
needle, you know, and you want
to come up with ideas, You want
to host an event.
He still has the product and you
know, what kind of an event are
we going to do?
I mean, cutting light.
Yeah.
So I'm, I'm, I'm going to throw
another three hours of my time
and try to move the product that
you had in hopes that you give
me an, I mean it's it's, it's
complicated.
You know, it's it's not easy, it
seems.
It seems like it.
It is fun.
We got that.
It is.
It's fun if you have thick.
Skin.
It's fun.
If you're successful a little
bit, if you can see a little bit
of success, if you get a taste
of that.
You bought heat, you know they
bought from you here, they
bought from you there.
When you're with one customer
and the guy carries all your
brands, man, that feels great to
go into that shop and do
business with that guy, 'cause
you feel he appreciates you.
And, you know, and then the
manufacturers think that it's
because their cigars are great,
right?
And it's really the relationship
you have.
Yeah.
They're buying you.
Really.
They're not buying the cigar.
I think the.
Cigar degree, yeah.
Yeah, of course.
I mean, if the cigar sells, it
sells, right?
That helps.
Right.
If I, if I lose Taduah, I
guarantee I'm not going to.
My shops aren't gonna stop
carrying it.
There's a percentage of them
that will carry the new stuff
because of shelf space.
Kind of belongs to me.
Same thing here, you know, If I
lose Dunbarton, God forbid, you
know you guys aren't gonna stop
buying Dunbarton.
No, no, you know.
But you will make some space for
me and then my new endeavor, the
new because we have a
relationship, right.
But yeah, it's an interesting.
And that breaks goes back to
what's the manufacturer doing
for you?
Like are they helping to create
that demand?
Are they?
You know what I mean, Like or is
their effort?
Some people just don't know how
to do it.
Some people rely strictly on the
product.
There's so much involved.
You know there is.
There's so much involved having
a great cigar.
So let's say there's four or
five things, important,
important things for our brand
to to succeed, right?
Having a great cigar.
Is not one of them.
It's the least of.
Them not one of.
Them.
It's the least.
Yeah.
Oh, but smoke?
It doesn't matter, bro.
Really doesn't matter if I like
it or don't like it.
It doesn't matter.
You know what?
What are your samples like?
How much money do you have to do
this shit?
How much tobacco do you have?
Who's making your cigar?
You know, Are you ready to
travel?
Are you?
And the guy's got to be dynamic,
the guy's got to be cool and
that doesn't always work.
You know, it doesn't matter.
It's there are a lot of things
and obviously the most important
thing is you got to be out there
grinding.
You know it's true.
There's no simple.
It's true.
Yeah, there's that.
I wish I was selling.
I don't know.
Bourbon.
No, I don't know.
You'd be dead.
Are you fucking kidding me?
Yeah, I'd have to sell something
I don't like.
Rum.
Sell the rum.
Yeah, yeah, I like rum, but I
just drank it.
No, I don't drink it too sweet.
Too much sugar?
Yeah, too much sugar.
You want to avoid that.
Yeah, but if you got some shit
in the trunk.
Well, I'll try anything once.
Almost man.
Twice.
Do you remember that there was a
Simpsons episode where MO, not
MO?
What was the what was the guy's
name of the drunk guy?
Barney.
Barney went sober and.
He was like, super smart.
And his hair was straight and he
was, you know, all of a sudden
and then like fucking.
And then all of a sudden one day
he took a sip of beer and went
right back to his fucking gut
and fucking hairs.
And like, I feel like that's
that.
That's we get 2 episodes of Pete
here.
Like you can have Pete
strategizing and like well
thought out and speaking
everything perfectly to AT.
And then you can get Pete
Hernandez telling Jose Ortega of
Pepin Garcia's cigars to go fuck
himself.
I wouldn't say it to that guy,
but yeah.
I mean, I was there.
It was pretty close to that.
Oh dear God.
Oh gosh, it was.
I thought it was hyperbole.
No, you said something.
It wasn't.
Go fuck yourself.
But you said something.
He was like, what did you just
say?
Like you fucking heard me.
I'm like, this is amazing.
All right.
That being said, just like you
understand Jose Ortega and I go
back a long way, yeah.
Jose Ortega was really well, no?
The thing is that you can speak
a certain way to certain people
because of the relationship of
course.
And Jose or Jose Ortega, are we
talking about bow tie or?
The big one.
No, not the little one.
Not the big.
One, not the little.
One yeah, the big one and my
brother, we're really, really
good friends and and so me and
the little one we kind of
inherited each other.
I'm I'm probably closer to bow
tie and to the but that being
said Jose Ortega is like a
brother to me because I and not
because of the time we spent
together because he was my
brother's brother.
So he, you know, there's a
certain level that we have to,
you know, because we inherited
each other.
What was really cool this
weekend, I was actually with my
nephew and this was a great
weekend.
So we went to see the Yankees
play in spring, spring season.
What do they call that?
Yeah, Spring ball, spring
training, Spring training.
Thank you, Mike.
He's a big sports guy.
Big, big sports.
Yeah, I love sports.
I'm I'm not that big, Yeah.
He's being sarcastic.
Oh, OK, OK, well.
They were scoring touchdowns
right at the the baseball.
Game.
So my cousin is my mom's first
cousin is Omar Menaya.
He is the an advisor now to the
Yankees.
He was GM to the Mets back in
the day in 2000s when they
brought all those Dominicans
over and whatever this guy is,
he's such a great guy and I I
hardly know him.
My grandmother brought his
father in the early 60s from the
Dominican Republic and she
brought all her family.
And so he turns out, you know,
we all, we're all from Corona,
Queens.
And he turns out to play
baseball and he becomes a
general manager of the New York
Mets and during the Subway
Series, I think it was in 2000,
my brothers were able to watch
the game with him.
Dude, that was an amazing.
And he's at.
He's 10 years older than I am,
so we really never cross paths.
But he is just an amazing guy.
He was interviewed by Cigar
Illustrated in the 2000s, and he
called my house and asked my mom
what's the name of Paul's cigar
bar because he got interviewed
by Aficionado and by
Illustrated.
Sports Illustrated.
Sports Illustrated, Yeah, I said
sports.
Illustrated.
Yeah, I know it is a.
Said Cigar Illustrated.
He kind of like, well, cigar
aficionado, he says.
An.
Airport.
So I got, We got you.
We got there.
So he called my mom to find out
what Paul's the cigar bar's name
was so he could mention it in
the in the the interview.
Yeah.
He had nice.
Yeah, he didn't have to do that.
Yeah, he didn't have to do that,
you know, every chance.
When I told him, my kids, he
couldn't make it yesterday, but
I was there with the kids, he
would have been the highlight.
But I told him that maybe I'll
bring my oh, if you bring your
mom, let me know.
I'll make sure I'm there.
When he was honored in the
Dominican Republic, he took my
grandmother down there to see.
I mean, he was just a great guy.
And we're so really fortunate.
So I was able to spend all
weekend with my three kids.
My my nephew and I went down the
line.
None of my brother's friends had
met my nephew.
And so I went down the line.
I called everybody FaceTime.
And I'm like, hey bro, I want
you to meet somebody who?
Oh, this is Anthony Paul
Hernandez.
I can't show you how many guys I
made cry this week.
I'm sure.
I was amazed.
Oh, my God.
I kept on.
They went right into bro, your
brother.
Let me tell you, we did this and
it was it was great.
Yeah, it was great.
You know, I mean, he was six
months old.
No, he was like a year old.
And my brother passed away,
actually.
What's today's date?
March 11th.
It'll be 15 years tomorrow,
yeah, 15 years tomorrow that he
passed away.
And yeah, it's yeah, it's a shit
sandwich, you know it's.
Yeah, yeah.
Till till this day.
Till this day it's I mean I I
probably I don't want to say I
took it the best.
I'm just grateful he was in my
life and that he and I never
there was never Go fuck
yourself.
They didn't fix any problems we
had.
There was never any.
We never held a grudge and I
wish I could have been able to
do this while he did it.
And you know, we learned from
him.
But he truly is.
He was an amazing guy.
He really.
I almost feel a little jealous
when I hear everyone talk about
him.
Yeah, how amazing is.
But I'll never.
This isn't me, bro.
I didn't create all this, you
know?
He paved the way.
He opened the door and paved the
way for me and I was able to
walk through and I'm just
grateful to have him fucked it
up after all.
These right?
You know that's always possible.
Yeah, I mean, you know, you can.
Yeah.
I mean, we've seen sometimes
we're like, oh, can he walk that
back?
Yeah, yeah.
No, he walked away.
That's what.
Kind of my superpower.
Walking it.
Back.
Yeah.
So, yeah.
So when do you think that you're
going to replace Alfredo for the
Guy Fieri brand?
I'm just going to curious, when
do you think that goes down?
Speaking of which?
Speaking of what?
That back.
No, no, no, no.
I'm cool.
We.
Have the Jack on the phone right
now.
He wants to.
I'm cool and I'm cool.
With all those guys, I'm sorry,
of course I didn't realize.
I wouldn't say all these things,
you know, like.
Listen, bro, I didn't realize
what a fanboy I can be.
That's really what it comes down
to.
I I really athletes and actors.
Most.
I mean, most people.
I see them.
I'm not.
I don't give a shit.
Right.
But then you've got these key,
key individuals that I didn't
realize, but I've seen all their
stuff, right.
Perfect example.
I'm a huge fan of Guy Fieri by
the way.
Right.
Huge fan.
I got the book.
Oh yeah, I'm a huge, oh dude.
I've watched all the diner drive
ins and dives.
You touch them.
I I hung out with him in like
2012, Not with him.
There was a whole group and it.
Was in the bathroom.
Food and Wine Show Food and Wine
Show in Miami.
And I was fortunate enough.
One of those guys, they came up
to me and they wanted a Back
then it was illegal.
It's illegal.
Now I can leave and I put them
in touch with someone who you
know they, right.
They handle some things.
Not 'cause I did any, but I.
You knew people.
Hey, I'm from Miami, right?
There's always a guy, yeah.
And so that was cool.
I had met him then, and he was a
really cool guy, right?
So here we are.
Fast forward.
Yeah.
You know what?
Fuck Alfredo.
Not only does he there, it is.
There we go.
Not only does he have.
He's got.
My other favorite guy?
Joe Rogan, 29.
And so Joe Rogan smokes
foundation, kills me every time
he lights a foundation cigar.
But you know, Nick's a great guy
and Alfredo's my buddy, so who
cares?
But yeah, so, So as the story
goes, when I see him at the
trade show, I see him at a bunch
of events.
I'm not going to wait on line.
No.
Yeah, you're pee.
Yeah, well, it's not just that I
don't wait on line to dude.
I didn't wait on line for food.
Really.
I'm going to wait on line to see
this guy to shake his hand with
him, Dude.
We met on 2012.
Remember I got you.
I want to touch him.
Talk about that too.
Talk about that here.
So I see him on his way to the
bathroom and he's surrounded
like he's biting.
He's got an entourage.
And as I approach him, these
guys look at me like I'm a
Taliban.
Did Tony Gomez suck?
Son of a Bitch, Tony Gomez.
I like so, yeah.
So that's how.
He strong arm dose one year at
the PCA wouldn't let us talk to
Guy Fieri.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, we got
snubbed.
Real.
Quick, he just got Matt Booth
and fucking.
Right, right.
Here we go.
We'll be right back.
Fuck you.
So I'm at a cigar shop in Dore.
Is a great story.
I'm at a cigar shop in Dore.
Wait a second.
Wait, wait, you gotta talk about
the bathroom?
I tried to saw it.
No, I tried to approach them.
These guys are like, dude, like
I'm a terrorist and then.
No, you can't touch him.
Sorry, he's peeing.
No, God, no.
It was on the way.
It was on the way he had.
I swear to God I won't touch he.
Wasn't no, he wasn't Dick in
hand.
I won't touch your Dick, but I
want to see it.
And guy says, hey man, this guys
got something to say.
And I just wanted, dude, I'm
just your biggest fan.
I wanted to step up and say
hello.
I see you at these events and
I'm, you know, I'm not waiting
online, but just wanted to tell
you dude, I'm a big fan.
I don't know that I that's what
I think.
I said.
If you ask, I swear bro, those
are the words.
That kept on the phone right now
to clarify.
So, and if I said some shit
about Alfredo, it wasn't just
like if I said, yeah, fuck that
guy, Yeah.
By the way, when I call Alfredo,
conversation starts.
Hey, what's up, cock sucker?
Hey, what's up?
What's up, cock smoker?
And, you know, so Alfredo's not
going to take that person, but I
would never work with the guy
Alfredo works with.
I won't work with any of those
guys.
Well, maybe.
What are you talking about, man?
Yeah, I'm not.
I would not work with.
I wouldn't work with Nick,
'cause obviously he's with
Alfredo.
I wouldn't work with Dean.
Yeah, but if Alfredo got
dropped.
If you got replaced, I wouldn't.
I won't.
I don't want Dion and I'm not
interested in a in.
No, but Dion was originally with
you.
Right, so not interested in with
him now.
Not taking.
Him back.
You're going to tell me that if
if Eric called, you said, hey,
listen.
I'd say no, 100%, 100% you can.
Work with Guy Fieri.
No, I wouldn't do it.
Bro you can touch.
God wouldn't do it.
You can touch him.
Bro, you can see his winger.
Swear to God I wouldn't do it
and there's nothing against.
You can fire his plane.
Dude, no one's more proud for
Eric for what he's done.
To start off like us as a as a
waiter, so to speak, and then to
become this manufacturer that he
is and all the hard work he's
poured into that.
There's no ill will.
Nothing.
Only dude, Eric used to.
When Eric and my brother worked,
they were counterparts like, you
know, like me and Alfredo, like
Groover and me.
You know, my they worked
together.
In fact, at my brother's
funeral, Eric stood out there.
There must have been over 100
guys smoking cigars, and Eric
held court and he was telling
stories about my brother and him
and when they would run into
each other and dude, there's no
ill will.
But I there are guys that I just
wouldn't work with for that's.
There's just no interest.
You know, there's no interest.
If I didn't have Steve, I'd love
to work with Nicholas, you know,
absolutely with Adwahe.
I don't want my father.
Not at all.
I'm good.
You know, I like Pete.
I like working with Pete.
I like that product.
I like the way he operates.
I don't think I would want to
work with Jose Ortega or, you
know, I don't know.
And I don't mean that as a dig.
I'm just happy where I'm at.
You know, I like working with
Pete.
Are there guys I wish I could
work with?
Yeah, I'd love to work.
You know?
I love Matt Booth.
Are you kidding me?
That guy's amazing.
But I don't think that's ever
gonna happen, you know?
And as much as I like him, I
don't even know what he makes.
I don't know what his cigars
take.
Doesn't matter.
I just think he's really cool.
And I'd love, you know, it.
It'd be a cool guy.
See, I'd like to travel with him
anyway.
Oh yeah, his gold.
Helicon.
He's got a gold helicon.
Really, STG?
He's got an STG Gold helicon.
Hell yeah, I'd like to work with
Matt with.
A golden toilet.
Yeah, it's a golden toilet.
In the toilet.
You want me to call him right
now?
We get over the phone.
I'm.
Sure you.
Do.
Everybody has, man.
Whenever I see him, dude, it's
always a good feeling there.
There are guys that that I would
love to work with and there are
guys that there's zero interest.
I'm glad I work with Gusto and
not Christian, right?
Cousteau is an amazing
individual.
He's very nice man.
He is, and I've been fortunate
enough to work with some great
guys and work with guys that I
can't even sell the cigars.
I work with Casada.
That was to work with that guy.
He's such a gentleman and it's
such the nostalgia of the
family.
And I loved working with that
family.
But sometimes, you know, they're
not making money.
I'm not making money.
You know, it's time to move on.
You know, That's why there's no
feeling in it.
But when you think you're, when
you think you're doing all right
and then you get, you know, you
get chopped off with the knees.
Yeah, that sucks.
But I I don't have to provide
expense reports.
I don't have to write notes.
I don't have to you know I go
where shops that I want to go
to.
If I don't want to do business
with a store, I won't do
business with them.
You know where this the office
can tell you I need you to visit
the way your job is to visit all
the accounts.
You know, and I'm glad I don't
have to, you know, there are
accounts out there that the best
accounts take care of themselves
trying to.
You know, trying to keep it.
As a walk back, you know.
You know, there's accounts out
there that you know that you
don't have to visit all the time
and they take care of
themselves.
When they need something, they
order.
If you wanted, you can visit
them a few times, 1012, three
times a year.
Yeah, they don't want you in
there.
More than that, they're happy
with the with the amount of
attention you give them.
You handle them on the phone and
they're happy and you want to do
an event and you go in and it's
it's a great time and you sell
boxes and all that's important,
you know, it's the relationship,
you know, that's that's I love
this businessman.
Yeah, I love you guys.
I love you too.
We love you too.
Yeah, I like.
Too Boots.
God damn it.
I feel like you're away from us.
I feel you know you.
Can we keep them over there on
purpose?
That's a good thing.
So it's handsy.
Okay, I don't.
So we're going to get a, we're
going to bring a camera out to
this PCA.
We're going to try and gauge
some specific things.
I'm hoping we're hoping to catch
Pete out in the wild doing this.
You will.
No, you won't.
Oh you will.
Haven.
Maybe.
Listen, I mean.
You know, who knows what out in
the wild looks like?
Could be you just hustling and
working, no?
I mean, that's what I think it
means, yeah.
Yeah.
Me and my natural habitat, yeah.
Absolutely.
If you're not sweating, I know
that you didn't.
You didn't go hard in the paint
the night prior, you know what I
mean?
So I don't sweat anymore.
I mean, I gotta, I gotta, you
know, I gotta be on a treadmill
or chasing some shit.
Yeah, yeah, I gotta be, you
know, moving, thinking fast.
I mean, you know, I don't sweat
that easily anymore, but.
How's that?
How's that knee?
Knee's great, this.
Yeah.
Perfect.
Thanks for asking.
I was.
I was in pain last time.
Yeah, yeah.
That was all bullshit, wasn't
it?
Yeah.
I had to carry that bullshit for
a little while.
I don't remember why.
I was saying I had a broken.
I had a burnt knee.
It was a reason.
I know why, yeah.
Why wasn't?
Why not?
We don't want to.
He might have never I.
Don't want to?
Yeah.
You might borrow your scooter
Michael around.
Let's not do that.
I don't do that to.
You, but I don't want that one
back.
Let let that one go.
Ahead so.
I'm glad he needs.
I'm glad he needs back.
I faked it at one point and then
I had to carry the fake on.
Yeah, yeah.
For just to maintain the story.
Yeah.
Yeah.
For like 3 days I was oh oh
fuck.
Yeah, if you watch the beginning
of the podcast when I
legitimately say, well, Pete
said he was on his way, so that
could mean anything.
Yes, that that is true.
That is true.
There are some stories that you
have told me that we cannot
speak about.
Yeah, I know we can't.
Yeah, they're fucking amazing.
This is a lot of good times,
man.
We've had a lot of good times
here.
It's been a good, it's been a
good run.
So this is shopping day in
Delray Beach, right?
Smoking Delray.
And I walk in and then there's
this guy and I'm with the owner.
I said, hey, is that he goes,
yeah, it's Kevin James.
Oh.
Dude, a thing came over me.
You thought I was a fan of
fucking Fieri?
Oh, you never met Kevin James?
I had never met Kevin James.
Not only that, at that moment it
all rushed me.
So I'm from Corona Queens from
The King of Queens.
You remembered all the episodes.
I know them all.
Not only that, my because of the
age of my kids.
All his movies are kid friendly,
so I see them all.
What else have I seen of his
stuff?
I like his comedy and you know,
I just thought he's in.
I mean it comes across.
It's an all around great guy.
So, instant erection.
Instant erection.
Yes.
So he's he's at the register
talking or and I dude, I walk
and I boom, I interrupt the
conversation.
I want to do it.
I can't believe I just did that.
I said you know what's crazy?
And I go on a rant.
I go, you know it's.
Crazy.
Keep talking and talking.
What's crazy is that my daughter
is a huge fan of Justin Bieber
and One Direction, and her
mother and I have no idea where
she got that fanaticism from.
And I realize she gets it from
me.
I've watched everything you
you've ever made.
I'm from Corona, Queens.
I've been to the Lemon Ice King
a billion times.
Oh, you're getting the rundown.
Oh dude, I've watched all your
shows, all your movies, 'cause
my kids are young and your
movies are perfect.
Oh my dude.
He was buying a box of when I
was repping EPC.
He was buying a box of the inch
and that's my brand.
Oh my God my car got a box of
cigars.
Handed out cigars like my wife
gave birth.
I.
Just been Kevin James for you.
So this day, I still don't know
what his voice sounds like.
If he spoke, he didn't say one.
Fucking.
Word, not one word.
Right, his brother.
Speechless.
He's, yeah, is this guy.
Catch me up, catch me up.
He's.
Not gonna kidnap me, is he?
A.
Couple days later I I.
Get a season that you get.
A.
Vinnie, the owner of the shop,
calls me.
He goes, hey man, yeah, you know
what?
Just came back here and asked
about you.
I went Kevin.
He goes no fucking body.
What a horrible fucking job.
That was great.
That was great.
That was great.
Put me right back in my place,
that was.
Amazing.
Never saw Kevin James again.
That was it.
I did see Guy Fieri at the Great
Smokey right next to me.
Yeah.
Did you talk to him?
I kept my composure.
He didn't look at me and I did
not look at him.
How did you know he was next to
you?
He.
Was right next to peripherals,
baby.
A long line of people, you know?
Yeah.
They were waiting to talk to it.
Wasn't like there's a wall.
I mean, I saw him there he was,
you know, I don't know if he was
a little nervous, you know?
Can't go to the bathroom.
This guy's going to follow me.
He.
Didn't go to the bathroom.
I remember this last time.
I'm going to talk to Jack.
Going to pee but I can't go.
Oh, hey, listen, what?
How?
How can we convince Guy to
approach Pete and be like, hey,
listen, I heard great things.
I really want you on the team,
just to see how, Pete.
I'm your biggest.
Fan, I'm fucking down.
Right now let's.
Go.
I'll fucking kill him for you
today.
We'll fucking bury that
motherfucker, he'll be.
Dead.
I actually do a, you know, a
little like I probably did five
or six where I get out of the
car and I tell kind of like the
guy Fierius the you know hey,
how you doing?
What?
You used to do when you walked
in.
Right.
And I never did that before.
He always did that before he was
in the.
I just love the way he, I love
how he does things, bro.
I just, I love how he's a dad.
I love how he cooks whatever.
And I just like the guy he is.
And you always imagine him to
being that guy when you know
when you're in front of him.
And I understand he is.
I would.
I wouldn't know.
There's a cease and desist.
I'm not allowed fifty feet like
I have to be 50 feet away from.
Him have a restraining order.
Yeah, that's not that far.
You can still see him.
Yeah, that's why maybe I didn't
say anything at the Great Smoke,
because he was right there next
to me.
I didn't want him to call.
The cops call the police.
Yeah, I do have one of the boxes
signed by him though.
Oh.
Nice.
Were the cigars in it or?
Negative.
Yeah.
I don't know what this gars
tastes like.
I don't, you know.
Yeah, I'm sure they're good.
Yeah, I'm sure they're good.
They're made by Eric or whoever
makes them.
Yeah, and Eric's, you know,
Eric's a good guy, Eric, you
know?
Eric is a great guy.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, absolutely.
Absolutely.
His son Hector's a great guy.
I'm cool with Turano.
All those guys are good.
You know, I and I love what they
do.
And I I listen, man, this is a
really difficult business.
And I'm so glad that Eric is as
successful as he is and truly
mean that from the bottom of my
heart, because everything he's
done has been so difficult.
He's worked with Rocky, that
didn't work out.
He worked with Miami Cigar that
didn't work out and Ortega, the
thing with Ortega that didn't
work out.
I mean, it's been a, it's been a
tough goal here.
And he's, you know, not to take
anything away from him, but it's
not like he's a he's a street
guy.
He's a guy who shakes hands and
kisses babies and tells jokes
and does magic tricks.
He is hilarious.
Few people can tell a story the
way Eric can.
And he does it in his way.
And it's so iconically his.
It's his the way he speaks and
the way that he's hard to hard
to imitate and hard to confuse
for anyone else.
And he's yeah, bro.
And and everybody does their
rendition of Eric Espinosa.
Have you seen Who is it that
does it?
When Sammy sings What's that A
Lynyrd Skynyrd song that Eric.
Likes.
Oh my God, Sammy from La Palena.
God, he did.
He did a Facebook skit once.
But.
He is one of those guys that
everybody.
I've seen Rocky try to imitate
him.
I've seen Nish.
So that's kind of cool that you
know other guys are mocking you
that way.
You know, I wouldn't even know
how to mock Pete Johnson.
I wouldn't know how to mock
Steve Saka.
Not that I would guys wouldn't
do that.
I don't know do that.
I do not do that.
Never.
Do that.
No.
Oh, that's amazing.
Yeah.
I mean, Eric's always fucking
awesome with me.
I I like he'll pick up, we'll
have a conversation in 30-40
minutes about fucking just
industry shit.
And like, I appreciate that.
You know, I would say that
there's probably, I don't know,
being this far along in the
industry.
It's cool to have the friends
that I have, where they're at.
You know, like Eric, like Booth,
obviously.
Skip, Michael, Like, you know
those guys.
They're all fucking inner
circle.
Not you two.
No, not you two.
Idiots.
I'm talking about, like actually
accomplished people in the
industry.
I didn't say.
Anything.
Don't look at me.
BDP.
I wouldn't expect it to get you.
Does it say my name?
I'm not in that caliber.
No, you're you're a part of my
team.
You're you're you're you're with
me.
Yes.
So it's cool to be to get that,
like, level of respect from
those dudes, you know?
I would have never thought that.
That's that's one of the the
cool things.
But like you said at the
beginning of this interview, you
know the levels of emotions that
kind of hit you through PCA
because there's so many
different fucking things, right?
I feel like every year I go in
and I'm like, all right, this is
going to be amazing.
Like fucking yes.
Yes.
And then every year I get
fucking knocked back down 3
pegs, right?
You get fucking people.
Some people treat you like
complete shit, you know, even
even with the cool interactions
and the and the the fun
adventures that you have when
you're there and you know the
conversations and shit, there's
still those things.
Like people still aren't excited
as I am about my shit, you know
what I mean?
Like it's just that's the the
kind of the the fascinating part
to me, you know?
And then like, I had A and it
was a big issue going into this
like, so PCA hit last year and
we did the Connecticut and I
fucking love the Connecticut and
I'm like, this thing is going to
be fucking killer, right?
And it hit pretty well and it
had pretty good demand and I'm
seeing reposts and all this
other shit across the nation.
I'm like, fuck yeah, this is
awesome.
And then but like still I still
got fucking pelted by some of
these guys Like how about that
cigar not acknowledged.
Like you know all some of these
top 25 dudes who I, who I'm like
tight with.
I'm like, hey, fuck you guys,
you know, like, what the fuck?
Like half wheel fucking got it
right?
I got, I got two nods on that,
you know?
But all right, thanks for
letting me know that.
I still got some work to do,
right?
I still got to keep fucking
going.
So, so now I'm going into this
PCA like, I don't fucking know,
you know?
I don't fucking know.
You just never know you.
Just never fucking you.
Don't know who's showing up and
you don't know who's showing up
ready to buy.
And you know, yeah, you just,
but we will have a good time.
Yeah, my, I mean my main focus
is always just going to see
what's Pete doing.
Yeah, that's that's, that's
pretty much where I lean on now
at this point like where,
where's.
Pete, where's Pete?
There are there, there are two
companies that I'm looking at
that I'd like to bring into the
fold.
One of them, yeah.
One of them.
I thought it was sealed up.
The guy hasn't called me in a
while.
He knows I'm ready to place an
order and he hasn't reached out.
And so I don't want to, you
know.
Like a retailer?
No, no, no.
A manufacturing shop.
Yeah, I mean a cigar.
You know, dude, it's a lot of
work and I don't want to work
with companies that I have to do
all the heavy lifting, you know?
You know where I've got to not
only introduce the cigar, I've
got to talk about the guy.
I've got to tell the whole
story.
And you know and.
So you have certain
requirements.
Of course.
And I think every store should
have a certain, you know
requirements.
You know that.
You know, I I think it's just as
important for me as it is for
you that the guy has some
notoriety.
The guy is presentable that he
can if there's a face, if
there's a face that the guy can
come in here and talk it up and
impress your guys and if he
can't do it, I'll do it.
But I obviously you want the guy
from the company to come and do
his song and dance and.
To some degree.
Have the face of a brand.
You know he's got to control
tobacco.
So you want to make sure that
you know you don't sell the
first go round and then you go
in the back order and you know
now you're in back order for two
months on a certain size or
don't make 12 sizes, just 3-4
sizes and and and you know kind
of get the ball rolling and he's
ready to go and grind because
Florida's not like every other
state.
You.
Know, no one's impressed by
anyone in this business, you
know, And so the further away
from the sun you know, the the
less stronger the rays.
So when you go, you know, when
you're in, in, I don't know,
Indianapolis or Kentucky or in
Illinois, we got great fanboys
there.
But I'm sure that when Carlito
goes out there to do an event,
or Rocky Patel goes out there,
or even a smaller manufacturer
goes out there, he gets a lot
more recognition.
A lot more.
A lot more people, a lot more
pop than you get here.
You know, I'm fortunate that my
guys don't even travel with me.
You know, Pete Johnson and Steve
Socca rarely do they.
Do you know an event, You know,
Aladino, that guy is traveling
crazy as well.
So I don't have a lot of guys
that I can bring to the dance,
and everyone's going to be all
impressed on how they are and
who they are.
And my guys are kind of tired of
that, too.
I ask Pete Johnson the same
freaking questions they ask him
every year.
Well, how'd you get into this?
So I don't, you know, how'd you
come out with the monster
series?
So, dude, all that shit's out
there, you know?
So And Pete's kind of a recluse.
He's not really, you know, he's
not, let's see, like Steve
Sacca, who loves being.
And I wouldn't want to.
I'm not going to call it the
limelight, but he understands
the value of the media.
He's a great marketer.
He's a great marketer.
He's not even out there talking
to customers.
You go to his booth, he's got a
chair and a sofa and he's got
everything booked.
So if you're going there to hang
out with Steve as a retailer or
as a consumer, unless you're
with the media, he's, he's doing
interviews.
He's pushing his company
forward, as he should be, you
know, So everybody has just a
different style.
And you have, you know, the big
guys, the patrons.
Those guys don't do nothing
right.
We're still waiting on George to
go back and talk to us.
Yeah.
Well, we're at the show.
Yeah.
But George?
Is going to give us samples one
time, he said.
Hello, some cigars said.
Hey, wait here.
Go get you guys some.
Like, oh, I'm like, I was
shocked.
I was shocked at the state.
I was the guy in the suit.
I.
Was like, yeah, I was like, oh
shit, hold on, like, wait a
second.
We might.
Yeah, that's weird.
Wait, no, He's gone.
He's gone.
Yeah, Never mind.
Yeah.
I don't even know who makes that
cigar.
And.
Then we saw him with a glass a
few minutes later, like he just
went and got a drink and he's
coming back.
Yeah, Hey, you know what, guys?
You know, go fuck yourselves.
I'll be right back.
This.
Is what he should have just
said.
You know what?
Oh, that's great.
Oh, you at least.
Then we would have left the.
Booth.
Oh, you're in account.
OK, You spend money.
OK, cool.
I'll tell you the coolest thing
that happened to me this year,
which I knew I had made it,
right?
So you had arrived.
Dude, I have arrived.
So I'm at, I'm at the cathedral
and I'm sitting with a group of
guys, and I think Westerrae,
those guys were having a sales
meeting and Carlito was in the
house, all right?
And I see he walks out of the
thing and he waves and I wave,
and he wasn't waving at me.
I put my head down, I put my
hand down.
Yeah, and but what was cool, he
did come by.
He noticed that.
And he did.
Come back later.
He did come back later.
And from the top balcony he
goes, hey Pete.
And he waved at me.
I didn't know you knew my name.
That was kind of cool.
That was kind of nice.
Well, he probably sat down with
his friends.
This fucking idiot over here.
I just, I just waved like, oh,
that's Pete Hernandez.
I think it was more like, hey,
keep your eye on that guy.
Which guy?
The one that waves back, right.
Hey Pete, keep your eye on that
fucking guy.
Make sure you fucking pat him
down before he leaves.
All right, well, we got to go
upstairs.
We got to do a meeting, so.
That's it, is that it?
When I'm going to talk about
what I'm coming out with and the
different blends and.
No, we don't give a fuck about.
We don't care about any of that
shit.
We don't do that.
Yeah.
Yeah, good luck with that.
Well, oh, that's all right,
'cause I don't fucking.
Know exactly.
Yeah.
We don't fucking care.
Yeah, well, that's just not
important.
You can go on some of that other
those other.
Fucking.
Podcast.
You know those?
That podcast?
That's all bullshit.
Yeah, that's right.
How about that?
By the way, do you?
We want to talk.
We want to talk about the real
shit.
We want to talk about the
bathroom fucking fights with Guy
Fieri.
The fucking we.
Didn't make it to the he didn't
make it to the bathroom.
I do have another funny story.
Check.
Out.
You laughed at him at the
urinal, I heard.
Fucking that's it.
That's really.
Big bro, Little little big ear,
you said.
Or some.
Shit.
So I'm in a lot.
Of real self man with a big
Dick, That's what you said or
something like.
That it broke.
So we're I'm in the bathroom.
This is one of the other years.
Huh.
A lot of bathroom stories with
me.
Wasn't in the bathroom.
With him, so you're in.
The bathroom with Kevin James
Stall and I hear these two guys
speak in Spanish.
I kind of recognize the voices.
And then you hear, oh, I know
who those guys are.
Hey, you fuckers better keep it
down over.
There Alfredo is that you
Alfredo.
Higher names bigger, Bigger
names bigger.
Names.
Bigger names don't even mention
them, because I won't.
We don't need that small, we
probably.
Probably know they are.
I got to be honest, personally,
I don't fucking care about the
smoke.
I love the smoke, but I won't do
that to you.
That's.
Well, not to, yeah.
And to them, they're good guys,
yeah.
That was years ago.
Yeah, maybe, you know.
Maybe they handed it to me under
the stall, man, I don't.
Know.
Yeah.
I don't know.
Yeah, you know, allergy.
Season.
Allergy season?
Who knows?
Pollen.
It's all the pollen, yeah.
It's, yeah, it's dry out there.
It's very dry.
It's very dry out there.
So.
So, yeah, man, Thank you guys
for tuning in this week.
I appreciate it.
Thank you guys for waiting for
me.
Yeah, of course.
And yeah, let's see.
We go, we can go put some pen to
paper up there.
There you go.
I'm talking.
About.
All right, sounds good.
Let's get the fuck out of here
quick before you just get a
message.
Hey, let's do this shit after
the Let's do this shit after the
PCA and we'll recap.
Oh.
That'd.
Be nice.
PCA recap sounds like a good.
Idea.
You should be a regular on the
show.
I'd love to be.
Like you need to kind of rotate
in right.
And say, hey, Mondays, yeah.
Come in Monday morning and then
just kind of fucking hit it.
I'm in.
I love that shit.
Yeah, I love, you know.
We could talk about like, you
know, some shit that goes out on
the road, like your last
gallivant, what happened, what
went down or whatever.
You know, they're not as
interesting as they used.
To I'm sure.
But there's still those
interactions, there's still
those comments that somebody
says to you just like, what the
fuck was that out of here?
You know?
You know, we really, we really
want the monsters only from the
toy.
Can you how do we make that?
Just the Frankenstein.
I only want the Frankenstein.
Oh, can you get me the and
illusion bowl?
Like I don't even fucking sell
LFD.
So a guy two years ago this guy
called me.
To go see, he triggered.
They want me to go see him.
They told me this one I'm going
to open the account yet with
Dunbart.
We're not going to open the
account yet, but we want to
taste the cigars.
Want to see the price, Want you
to come up here and do your job.
Kiss the ring.
All right, cool.
I'll do it.
Two hour drive.
Get there.
We did that.
No purchase.
I knew that going in didn't like
it, but I knew it going in.
Did it anyways.
Called me back like 8 months
later.
This time, I'm thinking we're
putting pen to paper.
This is it.
We're here.
We're here to do this, another
two hour drive.
I go up there and then we have
to wait.
But as we're speaking the son of
the owner says, so Pete, if we
bring this in Will can we expect
you here again in less than
three years.
So of course, man, if we're
doing business, three years.
Oh yeah, three years.
Yeah, right.
And I was like of course, man,
if we're doing business at.
Yeah, of course we're gonna.
I'll come by I've.
Been here almost twice now in
eight months.
And then he throws like 20
minutes to go by and he slides
it again, 'cause you know, Billy
Perdomo comes by here and.
Jose bow tie comes by here.
And you know the Hollywood and
and the you know they come by
here and I.
And so if we buy from, you're
going to be back and I go, All
right, bro, let me explain it to
you.
This is.
How it works those are.
We're two different business
models.
Those guys get paid to visit
your store, right?
All right.
I sold you Tata.
Why you couldn't sell it?
I was with Crowned.
Heads.
I sold you.
You bought five boxes of crowned
heads.
I gave you 5 free cigars for
each box, and I gave you a hat.
Each box.
You couldn't sell it.
I brought you Aladino with the
owner.
You bought five boxes and you
couldn't sell it?
No.
Why would I come here, right?
Why would I come here?
Answer me that.
He just wants to hang.
Out Riddle me that bad.
Man.
Yeah.
So I get a call this week.
Dude, I at this point, I really
rather not do business with
this.
Well, of course, you know,
they're more trouble than they.
Were this is a fucking pain in
the ass.
And last week they called me no,
the week before.
They wanted the paperwork again
and the minimums and blah blah
blah.
All right, perfect.
The best part was that the day
they changed the minimum, the
buying minimums, the requirement
for this company, he calls me
the following day, I'm ready to
make a deal, Pete.
I said that's great.
By the way, these are the new
requirements.
It's.
A lot more than five boxes.
Oh, yeah, yeah, he says.
Oh man, I'm sorry.
And I said, yeah, me too.
Sorry.
Yeah, It wouldn't have amounted
to a hill of shit anyway, you
know?
Right, so.
Yeah, I mean, you know what?
Like for me, being this far in
the industry, fucking at this
point, I don't want somebody
here all the time.
I just don't, you know, like if
if you want, hey, look, I want
to invest time and and energy
and fucking try and get things
going, OK, great.
That's fine.
That's a totally different
thing.
If you really want to do that,
we'll do that.
But I'm not going to make you
fucking come in here and put on
a fucking show so that I can
smoke a couple cigars and be
like, all right, well, fucking
pound rocks.
But The thing is that as a Rep
your job is if you want to open
the account, your job is to go
in there, right, And then go
into the month after and then go
into the month after and then
you, you know at some point then
you, then you begin to apply
pressure right you at.
That point I'll break.
You like the cigars, all right.
You like them.
And then you got to ask leading.
You got to ask them the
question.
So there's no room, obviously,
'cause that's the biggest
objection.
There's never any room, right.
So what's on its way out, 'cause
there's always something on its
way out.
I mean, that's not selling
something that shuffle.
Yeah, something on its way.
What's on its way out?
Oh, I think I'm gonna get rid of
this.
I'm gonna get rid of that.
And you consider can I help to
either buy that 'cause I can do
that or figure out how I can
help you get rid of that or try
to And then I'll just tell you.
All right.
So that's on its way out, right.
All right, perfect.
I can give you bags so you can
bag it up and do a buy three,
get one, buy a buy, you know
lower the price and get it on,
You know just change the scenery
where it's at and put it in bags
and get it out.
And then I'll this is the line
in the Sandro.
So this.
So the line is here when you're
out of that line starts here.
I'm first in line, right?
Right.
So now I've got a verbal
commitment on your part that
we're right.
And then I'll be back again in a
month to make sure, right.
And if you in that month bring
in something else new.
Oh my God, bro.
I get like a little kid.
I get pouty.
I start kicking sand, bro.
I'm like, oh, I I don't know.
How did you bring that in?
Yeah.
Oh yeah.
Then that's a hard time
controlling all my.
Oh, really?
That's real.
You brought that in.
What?
I mean the.
He offer you a free bowl of
soup.
Would you?
How would you bring that in?
What makes you think that that
would do?
What?
No, the guy came in one more
time than I did, but who knows
how would happen.
You know, he broke weak.
Who cares?
But then I'll be back again and
that's how you get in.
Yeah, you still go back even
after.
That of course, Well, it
depends, you know.
That makes sense.
That totally makes sense to me
from other retailers, you know,
outlooks.
And to be honest, if we don't
carry you, then yeah, coming in
once a month, I'm eventually
going to fucking break.
I'm going to say, look, you're
not.
Yeah, you're not going away.
All right, fuck it, dude.
Let's, let's, let's get you a
fucking four or five facings.
Let's get it going.
Let's see how it looks.
Right.
Of course, but we have a
relationship, right?
Like you don't have to come in
every six weeks.
If you didn't, I would call you
and say, hey, this is what I
need.
You say, hey, this is what's
coming out.
I say, OK, cool.
Here you go.
Like, do you want to do an
event?
And that would be it, right?
So you've done an event, I've
not been able to show up.
And we still host.
You still host the event and we
go forward and everything works.
That's it.
Absolutely right.
It's a relationship, baby.
I love it.
Love it.
Love you guys, man.
Thank you for having me all.
Right.
Great.
It's always fun to MP.
All right, let's go do the
meeting.
All right, all right, we.
Go.
Hey there everybody.
Welcome to the Chet and Palmer
Show, the podcast that's all
about middle-aged men and their
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That's right, Chet.
We're 2 middle-aged guys who've
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Show Notes
Join us for an insightful hour-long episode as we sit down with Pete Hernandez, a seasoned Cigar Broker from The Hernandez Brothers Organization. Pete shares his extensive knowledge and experience in the cigar industry, offering valuable insights into the world of cigar brokerage and the nuances of the business.
During our conversation, we delve into Pete's journey in the industry, discussing his role as a broker and the challenges and rewards he encounters in his work. We also explore trends in the cigar market, the importance of relationships in the industry, and the impact of current events on cigar sales and production.
Whether you're a seasoned aficionado or new to the world of cigars, this episode provides a fascinating look into the behind-the-scenes workings of the industry, delivered with Pete's signature expertise and passion. Tune in to gain a deeper understanding of the cigar business and hear firsthand from one of its most respected professionals.