Special Interview Litto Gomez Jr LFD

Transcript

We are here in the Cigar

Hustlers Podcast Lounge with the

one and only Lito Gomez Junior.

Hi, Say hi.

Hi.

So wait, so you know, do you go

by Lito Gomez Junior?

I was always kind of curious.

I never am wait First off, yo,

thank you for having me

everybody listening.

It's been a long time.

We should be on this podcast and

I hope you enjoy.

We have a lot of culture we're

going to talk about.

But yeah, to answer the

question, I, I'm a realist,

right?

I understand how the world.

Works.

Does he sound OK?

Do you need his mic closer or

no?

Yeah, bring it a little closer,

OK.

Cool.

Go ahead, don't be shy.

Get it.

Bring like prison, you know?

Just bring it close.

Let's slap you a little bit.

It's fine.

Like prison you.

Said.

Is there some drama there?

Maybe.

Nice.

Love that.

But yeah, as far as what to call

me, I've never really.

I understand how the world

works.

I'm I'm Lito junior the most and

I'm cool with it, but Lito

junior, Lito junior, LDG,

whatever, I'm good with it.

I've never had any ill will to

being called Lito.

Junior So this is like you're

officially starting to work your

way into the cigar industry on

the sales aspects of things,

right?

I mean, yeah, I guess you could

say that.

So I've, I, I've always been

very involved, at least from the

sales side, right.

So I, I started working at a

young age that unfortunately, I

cannot say.

But so, you know, in my

household, if you could use your

thumbs or you could annoy my

father.

OK, you're old enough to work.

So that's very much how it's

been.

And that started from packing

boxes up until when I graduated

college, I began working as a

sales Rep in New York and New

England.

So a kid from Miami, born and

raised, if it drops under 50°,

it's all the same to me.

I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm

hypothermic.

And my first week was in Rhode

Island, January 4th.

It was fucking 19° and rainy. 19

was the one was a God.

So yeah, like the ongoing joke

is when my brother graduated, he

graduated from FSU.

So as you could tell, he's not

the, he doesn't have the highest

of intelligence, but kidding.

But he, yeah, he had Florida

open.

Great, right?

Cool.

I have the armpit of the country

-2°, you know.

But no, it was great.

So I did that for eight months

on a road job, and then

eventually there were some,

obviously there's been some

changes.

So yeah, I ended up one way or

another, it ended up being me.

And so, yeah, for the past

couple months, it was, it's been

it running the whole

distribution out of the US.

Right.

OK.

So like you, you're seeing this

whole reshape, right, of what

LFD is doing.

Are you like kind of becoming

the face of LFD maybe?

I mean, yeah, I don't like to

think of it that way.

I I, I haven't thought of a way.

It's more so like, OK, I know

the responsibility I have now,

you know, we clean house, new

team again.

This, this job, you know, wasn't

ever something I had envisioned.

I was cool, but I love.

I want to get into too what

which I want to get into too

but.

Of course I figured.

But yeah, so for me, it's just

like I'm a Swiss Army knife,

right?

Whatever I got to do, I'm going

to do.

So if that means I'll end up

being the face of that flood,

cool again.

Like I'm not preaching myself.

I'm not preaching anybody.

I'm preaching the family name

because that's very much what it

is with us so.

Yeah, but somebody's got to be

the face.

Right.

And if it has to be me for the

time being, or even forever,

then I'm totally happy with it.

I mean, I couldn't see it being

for the time being.

I would see it kind of moving

forward, right?

I mean, your brother's more in.

In production.

Yeah, and more Dr. stuff, right?

Yeah, and personality wise too,

you know, I, I think I'm a

little more, it made for it to,

you know, I've, I've always been

very social.

I, I grew up in Miami.

So, you know, you see a bunch of

shit, you know, Miami's the

smallest place ever, you know,

everybody.

So I, yeah, I, I, I guess in a

way with something that I've

always kind of geared to.

But again, it's not how I look

at it, right?

It's I, I have a job to do.

We got to do that job.

If I get some sort of fame or

somebody looks at me a certain

way, not really asking for it,

but that's what happens, you

know, Right.

That's kind of the natural

course of things, dude, yeah.

Yeah, and, and it's cool and.

And it's been a really cool

journey, you know, like from

being the kid, because it's

funny.

I still see people now.

Yeah.

I remember when you were 12

years old, you were just

throwing samples at everybody in

the booth.

Of course, I always have to

apologize because Yahoo just,

they're launching samples in a

people's eye.

You know, first thing I say, I'm

so sorry.

Thank you.

Right.

And yeah, so it's cool for me to

like sit where I am now and you

know, like earn the respect,

right?

There's always been a big thing,

and we'll obviously jump into to

it among my family, but earn the

respect and this job is a great

opportunity to do that right and

shift the viewpoint from dude

who's this little kid causing

problems 24/7 running in between

legs.

OK, he's actually trying to do

something for all of us.

Well, you know what's funny is

I, so I watched your interview

with Cigar Pulpit and you talked

about anime, that you were into

anime a little bit, right?

But I feel like I already kind

of knew that because you created

Airbender, right?

Yes, so I'm, I'm not going to

take Reddit for the blood

because my father, wherever he

is right now, he'll somehow hear

that come over here and kick my

ass with taking his credit.

So promise I did not blended,

but yeah, I remember I was like

11 years old and it's crazy how

I remember this so clearly.

There was this sushi spot in the

Gables called Miyaku that we

would habitually go to as a

family.

My dad, he came back one

weekend, said, hey, I have this

new cigar coming out.

And it was always how it worked.

This is all accidents, right?

But how it worked is the main

reason why we wanted like the

main cigar we wanted in there or

shape or format was the chisel.

And it's funny, right, because

you hear the chisel, everybody

has another use for it or

everybody has a conspiracy

theory of what it's made.

But the main function that you

get from a chisel tip is that it

kind of if obviously rolled the

right way, it blows the air into

your mouth.

So he comes like, I have this

cigar coming and yeah, I used to

watch Avatar every day, like all

hours of the day if I could,

Right.

So I'm there, Avatar, Avatar,

Avatar.

He's he's trying to show my much

older father.

So yeah, I don't know about

this.

OK.

And then and then the whole air

bending part comes up and he

looks at it, he's like, OK,

wait, this works.

So yeah, we ended up going with

that and it was it was really

cool.

And it's great because that's a

cigar.

I today I think that Airbender

in Maduro in the chisel format

is one of the best things we

make.

And I smoke them forever.

And they'll always be like again

for us, a family industry, a

family business.

And you could have tested this.

All the lines you come out with

this have a story that's close

to the heart and that's one of

them.

And that's one that's really

special, right?

Because it was, it's always

cool, even if if it's at a very

small scale, when your father or

just somebody you respect's

like, OK, that's actually sick,

let's do that.

Right?

So yeah, that was the Airbender.

So it was entirely your idea.

That was what I got.

From you and my dad out there.

And you created the blend

yourself.

At 11 years old, you were

working diligently in the

factory for sure, you know.

I spent 100 nights in 102.

Days.

Smoking every leaf we had in

that factory.

I nailed it.

It was splendid.

So when you came up last, you

were hanging out with your

brother and you kind of did like

a little bit of a tour.

So what's your relationship been

like with your brother early on

and then kind of as you as you

grew up into like this

adulthood?

Yeah, that's, that's a good

question.

So we have a big age age guy.

Sure.

I, I don't know if you ever

caught on to that, but he's 13

years older than me, right?

Yeah.

So I saw that.

Yeah.

So.

And he's like, what, 2 feet

taller than you?

I mean, he's tall.

He is tall.

Hey, watch yourself.

He is tall, so it's a bit uglier

than me.

So it's.

Fine, so zero hand me downs then

or?

Absolutely 0. 8.

Don't know if I can say this,

but take I DS, I couldn't ever

cause the guy's freaking like a

Jeezy Jack the giant bean

stalker.

Look, I say yeah, this wouldn't

work it's massive.

So yeah, I I got screwed and my

older brother, he was a good

half foot shorter than me.

So as far as I DS goes, I.

Could never.

But no.

So a relationship is really

special, right?

And it was, it was, it was

something that at first wasn't

like that, right?

Just because of the nature of

it.

I grew up with my mother and my

father, he grew up with his

mother primarily.

So I yeah, no worries.

I, I would see him time to time.

But again, you know, what is he

was 13 when I was born.

What in the world does a

teenager have to do with an

annoying 5 year old that has no

idea about what's going on, no

idea about the relationships and

then the inner workings of of

the whole family, right.

So yeah, But he, he would for as

long as I know he's always super

cool me and I remember, fuck, I

hate to give him props, right?

But no, I remember like once it

started getting older, he really

tried when he was a Rep and he

was living in Miami, he he for

whatever the reason, he made an

effort.

So there were often times where

I would, we would get like lunch

or dinner once a month, maybe

like 2 * a month.

And he would always pick me up

from school or pick me up from

the house.

And I remember like, no matter

what happened that day, whether

I had the best day ever, the

worst day ever, like that was

always such a cool moment for

me.

So I always look forward to

that.

And I will always be thankful

for him to treating me like

that, right.

And, and really being making

sure he was the best brother he

could be.

Although the age difference,

it's a general situation, you

know, it's a little off.

And yeah, man, so and then I

began working and if you could

not tell, I am extremely

competitive and he cannot take

shit from his little brother.

So where does that leave us?

Constant war at the end, at the

end day, we will always love

each other.

But it's great because it gives

me a route to really show how

competitive I am.

And I will give him props here.

He is a giant reason that the

floor is where we had today in

terms of blending concepts, R&D,

he has killed it.

And I, there's so much respect I

have from him from that point of

view.

And he's a giant reason for all

the success we've had.

So there's always that, right?

And no matter how much we

compete, that's, that's always a

thing.

And, and you may hear his joke,

but it's always been a thing on

mine that OK, like this guy

knows his shit.

And I, I got to be always

grateful for him, for what he's

done. 1 Percy, but also for a

company.

So when I released Solis, the

reason why it was called the

Solis is because I growing up,

Lennox was my favorite cigar,

which is weird.

I started off more full and I

kind of transitioned down to

more medium full.

And that was his baby.

And when I came out with Solace,

if there was somebody, I had to

kind of say thank you again.

I wanted to make decisions

cigars so I could kick his ass

at his own game.

Right, I get it.

And I did.

Competition is a good thing,

man.

Being there's a, there's a good

level of of competition.

Yeah, I agree.

Yeah, as long as healthy, right?

And that's the cool part about

it, right?

Or dad was always, you know, I

don't care who wants to be the

best?

Who wants to do what if I ever

see a get out of hand?

Right.

You guys are screwed.

Yeah, you're not.

I'm not playing games with you

2.

You're not wishing ill will on

your breath.

Ever, ever.

And that was no, I've never have

in my life.

And I could say the same for

him, right?

But that was always a non

negotiable with my father,

right?

He's done a great job in making

sure that everything's super

fair.

But yeah, so I released a Solace

1 to kind of, without saying it,

kind of say thank you.

You, you put me on this path and

you really helped me get to

where I am.

And, and he helped me through

the blending process and he

actually made all the artwork.

So it was a true collaboration

in between us 2.

And again, I wanted to beat him

at his own game, so.

That's fair, yeah.

But he's he's awesome dude.

It was cool when you guys were

here because I got to see, you

know, you guys were very

relaxed.

You, you were having a good

time.

You were rubbing each other with

jokes and stuff and, and making

all those comments and like kind

of thanks and, you know, jokes

that brothers would make about

your dad and all these other

things.

And like you guys were just

relaxed and just having a good

time.

And that was awesome to me.

So like, 'cause like outside

looking in, you don't really

know the dynamics of a family

and there's a lot to it in this

particular relationship, right?

LFD has come a long way, right?

You're currently reshaping

things.

Like you said, there's a big age

gap there.

So you know, you could be best

of friends or you could

absolutely despise each other,

right?

You know, there, there could be

all of that, all those

undertones.

And I didn't sense any type of

animosity from either one of you

when you guys were sitting down.

So I thought that was pretty,

pretty cool, man.

Yeah, that's just how it is.

You know, there's, there's, and

both of us are extremely similar

that we don't like to fabricate

a lot of shit, at least how we

really feel.

So you know, that that's always

been the thing.

And, and also that helps us,

right?

Because if one of us is being an

idiot, immediately something's

going on, you know, there's no

holding back.

And, and I think that's also

been one of the reasons why

professionally we're able to

work so well together.

And although we, we may disagree

and when, oh, you know, we're

brothers, it's hard to in life,

it's hard to accept that you're

wrong with somebody you care

about.

So that's always in a thing, but

there's always reason.

And one way or another, we're

we're both mature enough and

intelligent to be at least, you

know, a professional side to be.

Yeah, bro, you're right.

Well, I mean, even if whether

it's a business partner that's a

sibling or not, you don't want

to work with somebody that

disagrees with you all the time

anyways.

No, 100%.

Now, I think half of those

successes I have had in the past

year have been through

disagreements with him, with him

and my father and my mother, of

course.

But yeah, and and, and that's

the beauty of it, right?

Because there are times and I'm

one of those people where if I'm

not always sure on things, but

what I'm sure on things, I know

very well that it will most

likely work out.

And even with them, they're able

to pick that up.

So what's cool is even if and

it's vice versa, right?

I but my brother, you know my

brother very well.

He's not.

Pushy, when he's pushy he's on

or something.

So we also understanding each

other from that point of view is

what helps all the cool shit get

done because it's something like

that happens.

We back off.

Like bro, you know what, it's

your turn.

So how many siblings you have

total?

So my older brother was 1/2

brother and he has an older

brother as well from and my

father and Martin.

He's not involved in the

industry.

He wasn't very cigar oriented or

anything.

And then with my mother, I just

have my younger sister, right?

Yeah.

So, well, I knew all that, but I

wanted it's kind of stated on

the podcast.

So which one are you closest

with?

So I I would think my brother.

Tony.

Yeah, I I have a great

relationship with my sister.

It was always very weird, right,

Having a little sister.

Do you have a little sister?

No, OK, I got a daughter.

But no, I mean.

All I have is my brother.

OK, but that's close enough,

right?

Like trying to connect,

especially when like your

brother, right, you don't have

direct authority is it was

always very weird and I'll be

completely honest, when I was

younger, I was 7 when she was

born.

You're like, oh shit, she's

going to get everything.

I'm screwed.

And that's what happened.

If you ask my father to funny

shit, she's a Princess.

She I mean, if you think about

it, he had three boys before her

and we were not easy, bro.

So yeah, if you ask him, she

romanced him every time, every

time something happens, she's

like, yeah, she romance me.

That's, that's my, that's my

little queen.

But yeah, so her, her and I are

great.

But you know, it's, it's it's

always weird.

And because my father the

travel, naturally there was a

something like I always felt

like I needed to also be part of

a father role in a weird way to

her.

Yeah, another protector.

Yeah, so that was always my

thing.

So there was a lot of that.

And for a while she just thought

I was this on a Satan but no

like.

Now you gave her no freedom.

He didn't want her to mess up.

He didn't want her to be safe

and.

And and I've learned that it's

actually letting them mess up is

way better.

That's the way I was raised by

that like, and my dad would let

us purposely like when the stove

was on, he'll be like, yeah, go

touch it and we'll touch you.

Burn the shit out of her

fingers.

And these are laughing.

He's like, now, you know, But

yeah.

So it's very much like that.

But her and I now today super

close.

Well, you guys are adults now,

right?

Yeah, super close so.

You can still be that protector,

but you don't oversee her

everyday life and.

She's she's super cool and she's

a good mix of Ines and Lido.

She's shown a lot, a lot of

interest in in LFD.

She graduating in a week from

from high school.

So she's going to spend some

time at SMU in Dallas and then

hopefully she'll come work with

us.

She gets it.

If funny enough, a couple of

trade shows ago she came and

Ines usually directs like the

layout right the display we

brought a friend of Ines with

Ines one day so Ines was like

I'm just going to go hang out

with with Sylvia and my she's

like my daddy welcome She's like

no I'll say within 5 minutes my

sister had not asked my mother

how she wanted anything starts

pointing out the same shit and I

look at her I'm like hey I love

you I can't have two of you

today I.

Can't have two of you.

Not a not APCA bro.

Oh my God, stress levels are

super high already.

No, but yeah, she's, she's cool,

she's sharp.

She she loves, she loves the

idea of working with family,

which is all that matters.

And and she's also not a

pushover.

So she's the same way as me and

my brother in the sense that if

she's right about something and

she thinks you're wrong, she

ain't.

She ain't giving up at all.

All right.

So you were on the pulpit.

You also talked about kind of

generational and that you're

looking to have kids obviously

like how many kids you want to

have.

I want.

To be 1 and dumb bro.

Just the one.

I think one boy, but maybe 2.

Well, OK, so so let's say that

you you're looking to have one

kid, but the first one's a

daughter.

Then what?

I'll name her Lita.

It's certainly in the cars.

I don't know if my future wife

will be OK with calling her

daughter Lita, but she may have

to be OK with it.

But no, I mean, look, I'm, I'm

super cool.

Whatever, bro.

I, I, I, I love the idea of

kids.

I love two boys.

And if a daughter comes,

awesome, it's a blessing.

Man, yeah, I mean.

There's no picking and choosing.

You could complain as much as

you want before, but I'm sure

I've never obviously I've never

been in a position, but I'm sure

the second whatever happens,

that's your life anyways, right?

I I've seen that through my

parent parents and that's, you

know, it's, that's something

that all right, if it happens,

it happens, whatever.

But you so.

But your knee jerk reaction is 1

kid.

Well, why would you want to have

necessarily one kid?

No, I, I and when I knee jerked

one, I was just thinking like I

need one named Alito because I

cannot have Ledo come back from

the grave and fucking kill me.

And he will if if his name does

not last 100 generations, right,

going to kick your fucking ass.

And but no, I I think ideal

would be too.

You know, it's similar in age

because I had a big age gap.

So I, I always kind of, that's

something not that I regret, but

you know, it would have been

cool to have like a little

brother or older brother that

was like a year older, you know,

just because you could actually

grow up together a bit closer

than with a larger age gap.

Yeah, it's easy to say that now,

but I'm sure going through it

here, you just hold on to this.

Oh.

Yeah, I'm bad, dude.

I'm well, you're doing all the

talking.

I'm just over here and and

enjoying life.

So you know, you say that now,

but like my brother and I, we

we're 2 1/2 years apart.

Only 2 1/2.

OK, Yeah, are.

You older I, that's all.

Everybody asks me that.

No, I'm the younger one.

I'm the younger 1.

He has no children.

So he's I, I feel like he looks

better than me, I guess to some

degree.

But like if you take a close

look, you're like, no, he's

definitely more worn.

He's definitely more worn.

But yeah, so I mean 2 1/2 years

I.

Wouldn't even say it from a,

from a like how you look, I

think personality wise, But now

that I'm thinking about it,

right, yeah, He's, he's quiet

'cause he's, he's just waiting

for you to fuck up.

Well, I, you know what it's like

the best business approach.

There's, there's two kind of

people, right?

You have like this logistics

person and then you have the,

the outgoing individual, right,

the creator, if you will, right.

So he's always been kind of

logistics a little more

reserved, like we shouldn't do

this, and like more risk

management.

Yeah, more risk management.

And I'm more like, is that the

last dollar we have?

I'm like, all right, cool, let's

go.

Let's go do that anyways and see

what happens.

And yes, I'd love to run

through.

It Let's go.

That's 100%.

You know, one of the statements

that I always say is like jump

off the plane and or jump off

the Cliff and build a plane on

the way down and like, and

Palmer likes to make fun of me

with that all the time, right?

Like, yeah, let's go build the

plane and jump.

Build the plane and jump.

Yeah, this is all kind of crappy

things.

Have you seen LFD's past 30

releases Besides, OK, how are we

going to make this OK, we got

it.

That's.

Good.

Hey, you know what we should do

is we should release a limited

edition, call it the 30th and

not on the. 31st year business,

right?

It's where year 2 PCA.

I'm still waiting on mine, God

damn it.

And I love that God damn cigar.

It was fantastic.

So I'm, I need to be on the

list.

So call whoever you got to call.

No, But yeah, I like, I like to,

I like to break balls, obviously

so.

Again, I repped in New England

and New York.

I'm very used to it, right?

I wouldn't even say that's

that's busting.

But that was easy, right?

But you know, we were was kind

of ironic as when Tony got

started as a Rep.

We were when you guys started.

Right.

Yeah.

So we kind of grew up in this

industry through different

perspectives, but.

At the same pace though.

Yeah, yeah.

Super cool.

Yeah, now he's John wicking it

down in Dr. with his, you know,

suits and all his guns and

stuff.

But.

And we're still here.

We're still here and we're

podcasting.

With his suits and all his guns,

the guy owns 2 suits and a

jacket.

He does it well though.

He does do it well.

It's actually impressive he he

pulls it off but it's literally

has 2.

How many suits do you have?

I think.

I have like at least like 12

different combinations yeah,

when I when I first started and

and even now to a point Florida,

I like to take it easy just

goes.

I know how it is here right, But

oh, I was in full suit every day

right.

So on the road smell and not a

single one smells like a normal

suit.

No.

No ever ever.

And it's because I always screw

up.

Every time I get a new suit,

it's a week before PCA gone.

You could send their dry

cleaners 18 times in a row,

right?

Yeah, it's never getting up.

So what are you planning on?

So I want to know kind of what

your intentions are as far as

shaping the sales aspect of LFD.

What's it going to look like in

the next five years?

What's your plans the next five

years?

Right, Obviously we have our

plans, but it's very much day by

day.

And the biggest thing for me,

right when I when I got

promoted, I guess bumped up and

which is a very cool moment and

I'll sure we'll get to it.

But for me, the thing was that a

lot of people, you know, like

here's the thing I have without,

I have been a part of the

industry for a while.

So right, So it's weird like

with me and I understand it's

kind of oh, but he's always been

there, right?

So there's always that.

But for me it was like I was a

Rep and that now it's funny,

right, because when I'm a very,

if you tell me what I got to do,

for the most part, I, I jump in

head 1st and I find out later.

And that was the thing, you

know, I, I, I know the story of

my father.

I know the story of my mother

most importantly, and I know

that it's you don't ask

questions.

You got put in a situation and

you're either a rock star or you

don't.

And that's how you succeed.

And you can apply that to

anything in life.

And being a Rep was really cool

because anything that a Rep can

be unhappy about, I lived it

right?

Because I mean, again, like my

parents, they don't play the

that whole all favoritism game

And and that was and I never

asked for it.

And and that was very much so

the case when I was a rap.

So I was able, you know what the

guys were were unhappy about.

I felt too.

And if not, I could at least,

you know, my big thing in life

is you, whether you agree with

somebody, it's all about

understanding.

If you could understand

someone's like pain, right, then

you don't have to like him, but

you know what someone's going

through.

So I've I've.

Understanding their perspective.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

And you have to.

And for me, that was being a Rep

was the most important thing

because now my goals is, if all

else fails, my priority is

making sure that my reps are

happy.

Because at the end of the day,

you know, reps are often

overlooked.

But if you're going to choose to

have a sales Rep that is the

most important, like piece of

the puzzle, it very much so is

because an unhappy guy, he could

do a lot more damage to you than

you can.

And also it's, it's a hard job,

man.

Like it's a really hard job.

And, and I feel for a lot of

these guys and you got to make

sure that's worth the while.

But as far as like grand scheme

of things, right, it's kind of

if, if you're, if you're not

aware LFD has had a backwater

situation.

I I never.

Heard Oh never cool.

I had no idea.

By the way, I just want to say

we were the ones to make it cool

right now.

Everyone's doing it.

No me, baby.

We were the originators.

But I, I'm in a situation now

where we have cleaned up a lot

at the factory, right.

So we're trending in the right

direction.

Again, we're a small family

owned company.

Everybody who does something,

every process is viewed or

actually it done by somebody

with my last name, which is

amazing, you know, so we won't

ever try to be this monster or

not.

Everybody knows that or demand

is very high and it will come to

that too is, you know, like you

have to be fair in the sense

that if you go ahead and you

take the investment on me, I

need to be able to give you a

return on that investment.

And I do it and I need to do it

in a way that's fair for you as

a retailer based on your

performance, right?

And again, it's not like there's

no draconian system, but we have

implemented some new things that

it's great for us.

And the whole, the whole key is

to kind of help me forecast,

right?

So I could be more upfront with

the factory.

And they've been super cool with

me being able to hop in there

and just look at the planned

production and really, really

see, OK, wait, I may need this

instead.

So yeah, like a big thing we're

focusing on is, is support of

the brand.

And what I mean support of the

brand is we're a company that

everything we makes is for a

reason.

It has a purpose and it's a

story that's super near and dear

to us.

And LFD, you know, like people

always say, prices are great,

right?

Why are prices great?

Cause for my father, it's it's,

and I guess for us as well.

The coolest things about it all

is he is not a boss.

His employee is the retailer and

then the consumers, right?

Or or yeah his he is an employee

of you guys.

Right, he's in a business.

For you guys and and that's

something that I've always had

the mentality of just from

seeing him right.

So we need to make sure that we

could provide a cigar for

anybody out there and on top of

that, make sure that the cigar

is absolutely perfect every time

you smoke it.

So we never disappoint you

because you're taking time to

invest on us, man.

So it's very much the focus and

how do we do that?

You know, we want to see a good

representation among the

Coraline, which you know, we're

this year giant investment into

that, whether it's marketing or

production at the factory.

So one of the things we did is

we're going ahead and we're,

we're really encouraging the

purchase of, of the Coraline

product and kind of setting some

loose requirements.

But just so that, you know, if

you want a bull and you're

crushing it with me, who says I

can't send you as however many

as you want, right?

That's, that's the way it should

be done.

And I, I know people do that.

But yeah, for us it's cool

because it's the first time we

really do it.

And we're a company that

thrives, as we've seen in the

past couple months, we thrive in

an environment like that, right?

And again, it's all just about

showing love to 1 you guys and

also to the product.

Yeah.

You know, I mean, I think it's

important to have that kind of

baseline of support from a

retailer, right?

They shouldn't expect limited

access to, you know, like the

bulls or anything like that if

they're not supporting you

within, you know, a decent

parameter, right?

Yeah.

A, a retailer shouldn't just

call and say, OK, well, I

haven't placed an order with you

in 18 months.

How many bulls can I get?

You know that doesn't that

doesn't work.

And often times that's been the

case.

Right, that happens all the

time.

Yeah.

And we found out that a lot of

our hack order were from cases

like that, you know, like people

would place very large orders,

but they wouldn't always be

ready to take it if we did have

it, right.

So that's something we had to

clean up and we did.

And at the same time, you know,

we're talking about asking

things for retailer, but we've

made a giant move within the

company and that's, this is

always my thing, right?

I cannot ask for things without

giving you something in return,

right?

Obviously you'll get product.

But my thing is, is education,

right?

Like if you look at the events

and we're 100% going to have a

couple.

I know we've spoken about it,

but if you look at the events,

it's all jumping back to the

roots, right?

It's not, oh, let's just sell as

many boxes we can.

It's like, no.

How do I?

Get a hat.

Yes, how do I get and what I

love about you guys I'm just

saying now I was going to say it

eventually, but you are a

Unicorn shop in in the level of

quality service It is and that's

why I'm I'm here.

That's why I respect you guys so

much apart from the fact that I

like you but and yeah, it's it's

all about that right like you

know more than anybody.

If I come here and I spend the

time and I do or, or events, now

it's individual shrew tastings.

So wrapper, filler and binder

and we sit down and I don't want

it.

I you can advertise it, but it's

what I really want is the

consumer.

All you guys watching at home.

If you come to the shop, you get

an experience you can't get

anywhere else from a brand that

usually doesn't offer this.

And you're going to love that

cigar.

And the guys who put the money

in your pocket are the ones who

are going to be.

It's not like a normal event

where they buy one box and then

they never buy it again.

They're going to fall in love

with it and they're putting

money back in your pocket.

Yeah, and they've and they've go

for the culture, the the brand

as a whole.

Yeah, You know, so when, when

we're talking about, OK, what's

the new direction, it's like,

OK, like, yeah, I want to build

the brand.

I want to grow, but I also want

to make sure that you guys are

happy we're growing and you're

comfortable and you see the

value in it because it's cool,

right?

And unfortunately, there's not

that many family businesses

left.

So to get that hands on approach

from a family business is, is

it's what's needed, you know,

and it really ties into why we

love cigars so much because it's

this product that is so

improbable logistically.

Right.

It's, it's, it's insane.

It's insane, yet we're selling

it.

Last week I was in the factory

for factory tour and some guy

looks at me and he was blown

away.

He's like all this time I

thought 1520 bucks for a cigar

was cheap.

Right.

After seeing this, I, I thought

it was expensive right after

seeing this, I that's, that's a

a dollar for parking, bro, it's

right.

It's it's insane.

So it's, it's cool, right?

And we need to treat our product

like that.

And we also need to make sure

that you guys are being

respected as retailers.

Sure.

Well, even from like the

logistical standpoint, like

you're talking about brands and

having things readily available

and stuff, and hey, this is

selling faster and we need more

of these things.

Even if you state that, even if

you, you know, go to Lido or

your brother or whatever who's

running it, then the factor say,

look, I need XXXI need you to,

you know, I need you to 3X this

for production.

That doesn't mean that it

happens.

You know, you still got to have

all the product for it.

You still got to have the

materials for it.

You got to have the labor

covered.

And then even if you get all of

those things done, you're still

12 weeks out minimum before you

can even ship anything.

I would say that short and even

with that the amount of

variables.

So I'm I'm gonna jump in for the

VR home right 'cause not many

people talk about it.

We're I don't know if you

noticed we're extremely open

about stuff just because there's

there's no hiding a product like

ours is.

We do everything the right way.

I'm very proud of it.

But last year.

How was your supply on Maduro?

I left the right, it's non

existent.

Baron.

Why?

You know, because we, we were

primed and like, I feel so bad

for you guys because every time

we say yo, it's going to be the

best year ever.

So now that it's happening, I'm

like nobody could say it, nobody

could say it.

Shut up, stop promising shit

within reason, right?

I'm, I'm a realist where it

comes to those things because I,

I don't want to lie to anybody,

but in, in terms of the Maduro

product, right, last year we

bought the most tobacco we had

ever purchased in a single year,

the Ecuador and Sumatra, which

goes into most of them Maduro

lines like velvet head or as

well as broadly.

This is a problem.

Broadly, we bought everything

and I was down there for pro

cigar.

And when I go down there,

usually now I get tied up

because when I leave the office

I still have a shit everything.

There's a fire every time I

leave the office.

Right.

Welcome to the business bro.

Yeah, right.

Crazy, crazy dog.

Well, yeah.

So I'm down there and I was that

day, I was working in the

packing department and somebody,

thankfully, you know, Happy

mistakes, knocks over a box.

And it was a box of the DSN

under Maduro.

And I look at it, I'm like, no,

no, no, It's very blotchy,

right.

People know LFT from Maduros,

kind of.

And it's iconic for us because

we make some of the best Maduros

on the market, I'd say.

And I show my dad I talked to,

we opened up all the boxes that

are all blotchy.

What had happened is that we

have a very a peculiar process

for maduros.

We don't use oils or dyes.

We do it all by hand with

filtered water that we could

drink, right?

So heat, pressure and moisture

releases the oils.

And if all that tobacco you you

got, if it does not hold the

colour.

Right.

And we're we, this is, you know,

this man, we do not sacrifice,

right?

So yeah, it's it's again with

Tory saying if you do everything

right, right there something

that you could never account

for.

Surprise.

Hits you and yeah man, and at

least for us like we were at the

farm too and these guys are

like, oh so how long does it

take this tobacco probably won't

be in a cigar for at least 3 1/2

years earliest right, right.

Just with our process and just

the, and a lot of people, it's

the same way some, some

companies have even even, you

know, they like to age a bit

longer than we do.

But, and it's one of those

things, well, this products.

So when you ask for respect for

it, right?

And but when you make, when you

have all these standards that

you're putting on the product,

it's all to ensure at the end of

the day that back to you asking

what my plans are, if you're

making the investment on me, I

have to follow up with you from

quality and from the promises we

make.

Right.

All right.

So let me switch gears a little

bit here.

Who are you closer with, your

mom or your dad?

And which parent do you think

really shaped you more as a

person?

That's a great question.

Right me personality wise, even

looks, I guess I'm kind of split

in the middle of both, right,

right.

So I, I have a lot of the same

tend.

I have my father's ADD, that's

for sure, and his Gen. his

genuine passion and joy.

And as you said, jump off a

Cliff and build the plane down

right.

I have that.

But also I, I, I see the world

as my mother, right?

She's you and Greg.

He handles logistics.

You handle all the fun stuff.

That's what they are, right?

So like, and my mother's a

little bit of an enigma right

now.

Many people know much about her,

but she without a question in my

mind and anybody at or or

company knows it, LFD would not

be around the voice of her.

We probably would have gotten

broke at some point.

You know, it's by 100 years

worth of Sumatra.

It's by more farms, right?

This is Lido, but no.

So I, I think personality wise,

I have and my mother, I have the

drive of both of them and my

mother, I'm, I could see things

a couple steps in advance that

comes from her.

And, and I can't be very blunt

as she is as far as my father,

he's a social butterfly and I

got that from him.

And in terms of who shaped me,

right, there's various ways of

looking at it.

I would say the same applies,

right?

Very much so both.

It's for me, though, I will say

my mother raised me, obviously

my father, but he was out and it

wasn't something I understood

until older age, But he was

working all the time.

And it wasn't for any other

reason than so that we could

have the shit that he could

never afford or even think of

having when he was a kid, right?

And that's, that was the most

important part of the journey of

him and I and how close we are

now we're almost inseparable,

which I'm super thankful for.

And as far as my my mother goes,

all like the little stuff, like

little tendencies.

I think it was more so her, but

like my father, that he was my

superhero.

He still is.

But that definition of

superheroes change.

Like when I was five I thought

he could run at 100 mph.

No, not that he could process

and think and do crazy shit at

100 mph.

Not all of it works, but.

Yes, he could.

Try, he will try.

And and yeah, so as far as like

why I work so hard and just my

big thing, my father, you

probably heard is he's the

amount of jobs that guy's had

ridiculous.

He didn't have a success.

So he was 40 years old.

That's the floor.

And but his key to that was

always you'll hear the famous

story of when he was a ishwasher

in Toronto said, well, I wanted

to be a busboy.

How to be the busboy.

I got to be itchy.

Best it's watcher in here.

And then from there, you know,

kind of screwed him because the

manager was like, hey, like

you're doing the work of three

people in the dishwasher.

I kind of need you.

He's like, I'll do the same shit

for you there.

And that's always like in my

approach for this.

And there are no excuses, right?

At the end of the day, if you

don't perform, you don't

perform.

That's on you.

You could always change that.

And that is something that I get

from my father.

And, you know, talking about

superhero, that's the Super.

That's where he is, my

superhero, because he's has

always been the best in

everything he's needed to do to

get to where he's at, right?

And yeah, that's.

So for like from a so one thing

that I, I've learned is that

like from a kids perspective to

a parent is like you idolize,

right?

Then you demonize and then

eventually you come back to

humanizing them, right?

Did you ever have a portion in

your life where you absolutely

demonized?

It's tricky for a kid, right,

Growing up and like, you know,

like I've always, as I said,

I've always been around the

events.

So I loved it.

I always felt at home in this

industry, right?

So I was always part of

everything.

I would cry, bitch and moan when

I wasn't able to go to stuff.

But at the same time, you know,

like you don't understand the

reasons why when you're a kid,

you don't.

And that's natural and it's

fine.

And you idolize somebody.

He's a superhero, but you feel

like you can't even have a

conversation with somebody

because they're away.

And you know, as a kid, you're

always thinking to the most

negative possibility.

So there was a lot of that.

And there was a time where

stopped between me and my dad.

We're not always like that.

And the other thing too, is like

speaking about the events.

It's kind of like one way or

another, not growing up in a

shadow, but it is like that,

sure.

It's it's very much like, holy

shit, who's this guy, man?

You know, like you have people

like you have political figures

talking about your father.

Right.

And yeah, I'm.

I'm that's a lot.

It's a lot and I'm super

thankful because for him, he's

he.

He knows where where he comes

from, so he ain't shit in his

eyes.

You're asking me.

He's like, I'm a humble farmer,

man.

Do you see what he's wearing?

Feels.

Like a 20.

Year old now, it's terrible, but

yeah, so he's a simple farmer,

so that always helped, right?

But still there was a little bit

of that.

And yeah, I humanized him from

for a while.

And obviously, you know, with my

mother, she was raised by a

single mother in Cuba.

So she was on top and she was,

and it's the same thing.

She was there every day.

So there was also that, right?

I would get annoyed with them

and I was troubled as a kid do

that.

I was a mess.

But eventually I when shit

started hitting the fan, it was

very much that moment where I'm

like, alright, I'm kind of

blaming my shit on that.

And because like when you're a

kid, dude, like you have a lot

of changes going on.

You know what's going on, You

think you're something's wrong

with you, so you put it on

somebody else because that's

what we do when you're a kid.

And eventually I, I went share

with me and my dad was a little

rocky.

I kind of sat down.

I'm like, holy shit.

Like he hates the fact that he

has to work a plane ride away

from his family and he has to be

there 24/7.

And now it's cool because like I

go to the factory, that guy

leaves for two seconds.

There's it's nuts, you know, and

that's just how that country

works for you could tell them a

million times you leave same

mistake.

And and I understand that now.

But you know, all those things

that I used to demonize them for

are things that now I look back

and I'm like, holy shit, I

idolize them for it, right.

So that was always and same with

my mother.

You know, I was tough as she was

on me.

She always held me to a certain

light.

I understand it now.

So there is no or relationship

now is phenomenal.

I, my dad's my best friend.

I talk to him as much as I can.

And you know, there's also that

thing like not the shadow, but

like, like, OK, if that guy

pulled the shit off, no excuses

here, no excuse.

And it's great, you know,

because now I, I know like what

my life will be.

And he was a great example of

how to like the cool thing with

my dad too.

It took me a while to

understand.

Weirdly enough, although he's

over there, all the worst

moments I've had in my life that

he had no idea about.

Somehow he would call me that

day, not no shit, but he'd be

like, hey man, are you all

right?

Just checking.

Weirdest thing every time I had

a a shitty day.

Hey bro, you are you good?

It's.

Pretty powerful man.

That it's weird, really weird.

But you know, and and that's

another thing that always sucks.

It's right.

But yeah, to answer your

question, it's that does happen,

that happens with every kid,

with every family.

And I honestly think that that

is the best way for you to grow,

for you to realize that you're

being irrational and for to kind

of cause, again, understanding

pain, right?

So once you start thinking about

it, you're like, wait a minute,

it's my fault.

Yeah.

Well, when you start to you

mature, you start to take the

accountability of things, right?

Yeah, that makes sense.

All right.

So talk to me a little bit about

like the nod and how you kind of

transitioned into this role.

What happened, What happened,

what happened?

Tell me.

Question of the year, right?

No, look, I so in May, so John

Carney was with us for a long

time and then we decided to

split ways.

So we're going to get.

That's fine.

We decided to split ways, I

think it was like around May and

yeah, you know, and a lot of it

without, and I'm not saying this

in a negative light, but just

the overall amendment mentality

and the purpose had shifted.

And it shifted from a company

that came up with no support in

the hardest time to come up as a

brand super.

I think LF DS, why love LF DS?

We are fucking unapologetic,

unapologetically us and fuck you

to everybody else with respect,

of course.

And the drive kind of wasn't

there and it's and it was a

right thing.

You know, COVID happened, right?

COVID naturally slowed down

travel on the station and John

left and then slowly, you know,

there there's just lack of

agreement in between what and my

parents wanted.

And the vision of the company,

the.

Vision of the company was a

little blurred in between the

two sides, which is by the way

the number one thing.

It always needs to be on there.

So our team ended up dismantling

and honestly, there's no point

in in looking back at I, I wish

everybody the best man.

Yeah, I mean, that's fair, you

know.

Like everybody has a reason for

stuff.

Cool.

And I, I do think without again,

not in a negative light.

I think it that was the best

thing to happen to Lafleur.

I think that we needed a

complete.

I just needed, we needed a

reset.

So all this happens and like I

said, which podcast I set this

on?

But but I did say it, I always

think about it, 'cause I'm like,

Jesus Christ, I wish I would

shut my mouth, but I never

envisioned this, right?

My goal was always, I'm going to

be a Rep for three years.

My brother was a Rep for three

years.

I want to be down in the factory

because I'm somebody that like

you talk about the face thing,

like I'm not somebody who can

sit here and take credit for

somebody's or somebody else's

work.

So I never wanted, I never

wanted that.

I always wanted to be in the

factory and that was a plan.

Three years then shut me down.

I also love that country.

My brother lives there full time

now.

My dad's there.

So that's the plan.

So I have this podcast.

I said I'm not naive enough that

I could think I could move up

because it really it wasn't in

yeah, that was not in the cards.

And so restructure pieces are

moving and I go to we were some

time without without anybody and

we're an answer to back.

And one of the goals of it is to

kind of find like who, who would

be the guy, right, 'cause you

sure this movement all the time,

people leave and a position like

that is highly of it around the

industry.

So we go and I remember the, the

first night we sit down, me and

my brother, my father, and we

get drinks and we sit there

yelling names at each other.

It's like 4:00 AM.

And at the end of it, because my

father knew how I felt.

And and again, you know, there

were question marks because soon

as that happened, everyone

thinking and it was a narrative

I hated just because although we

split ways, you know, John on a

personal level, I've known him

since I was 11.

So, you know, there's, you know,

there's always that.

And I'm not going to lie and

say, I don't know, but no,

there's, there's always that,

right?

So it was, it was weird, right?

And Pete, I didn't want the

narrative of all this happened

for that.

It was never in the cards.

And I was afraid if I were to do

it, I always knew that I could

rise up to challenge because

again, the hard code in my head,

like, who cares?

You don't have a choice.

You got to succeed.

And so that's always the thing.

But we keep spitballing names

and it was just everybody.

It was a little thing, you know,

it was, it's a family company.

It's not easy to just have a

family company.

We're not a corporate thing with

a bunch of rules.

It's ever changing.

And we needed somebody who could

grasp really make sure that that

is connect to the vision that

that would never happen.

So at the end of it, my father's

like you and I'm like, hell no.

So we go to bed and I wake up

and we're at the show floor the

next day and I'm thinking about

it.

I when I said that, you know, I

was, it was inside.

I was like, that's so cool,

right?

The fact.

And he said some nice things

that between us, but along the

lines of like, bro, it's just

never been a question in my

mind.

And I did surprise him as a Rep

because of you as my father.

It's almost as if when I

graduated college, it's like he

needs a job.

So I surprised him because, you

know, that was I, I've been big

on like flipping a switch

whenever I needed to.

And that that's what I did.

And I was, I think a great Rep.

I had a lot of success in that

territory.

And so he saw that and brought

us no, but the next day we're

walking around and there were,

there were two people that I

look as as role models who kind

of both of them said bro.

It should be you.

Yeah, which 2?

Who were the role models?

What?

Who were the role models?

All.

Right.

Shit, this.

I haven't told anyone this,

Christian Arrow senior.

OK, I believe that.

And yeah, but he had a specific

way of saying it, that maybe

it's a graphic.

And Ernie Junior.

OK, Yeah, Ernie senior is, is

also somebody I talked to, try

to talk to like 2-3 times a

month.

Right.

Same.

We're a junior.

Damn, that's the first time I

said that.

But yeah, these are guys that

that.

And it was a cool moment, right?

Because it's kind of like, these

are my father's peers, but yet

they know what I've been doing.

They have heard, they have seen

it.

They and it's also people that

have seen me grown up and know

me as well as anybody else does.

So to get validation from them,

obviously your father's

different level, but it was

almost up there and I sat long

and hard and I was like, I look

at my brother.

He was also on board.

He's like, bro, it's you're

being an idiot, right?

So you're holding back?

Yeah, yeah.

And, and I'm really happy that I

ended up.

Yeah.

Keep thinking about what Chris

said.

It was great.

Go ahead bro, it's all right.

Oh yeah, bro, take the fucking

tampon out.

And, and, and I'm always, and

just to those guys, now that I'm

probably talking about, I'm

always so incredibly thankful

for them.

They and they've been there step

after step, and it's people I

love, like, like other father

figures, you know?

And yeah, so we're on the plane

back and I text my dad.

I'm like all right bro, but I

got conditions.

You're the terms I.

Have terms and the terms right.

And everyone's looking like, oh,

spoil kid.

No, the the terms was and I

meant this, right.

And I am so incredibly thankful

for how well they won the

Jamaica Republic.

We got you 2 now.

Yeah.

So I was like, I got to be there

once a month just because that

was my initial goal.

And also, you know, somebody

like my the guys before me in

this position, they'd never had

that luxury, right.

And although I'm not a big

traveler, even though I

literally spent all of us here

traveling every week in New

York.

Right.

I'm not a traveller and I I I'm

a traveller.

Sucks.

It sucks, dude.

I just want to know.

It gets worse when you have

kids.

Oh, stop.

It does.

It does.

Well, like think about, you

know, I don't mean to deviate

off here, but like, think about

it, right?

Like one of the things that's in

your mind is that your dad was

always away, right?

So as you become an adult, there

are two things that happened.

Either a you accept that right

and that's what you become, or B

you do everything in your.

Power to be against it right you

know and that's probably it

subconsciously I mean recently

mainly is that no I just have I

have ear problems I'm not

actually having surgery in two

months just from years of being

an idiot I I.

Was that DJ ING stuff or?

Yeah.

That was a problem in college

and I always rejected a wear ear

ear earplugs and it caught up

and then all.

The time I don't need that shit.

Leave me alone.

Yeah, freaking bleed PCA.

Two years ago, it blew up.

No kidding.

Yeah, just because a lot there

was all the lounges there.

Wow Yup bro.

And that's when it started.

So I, I, I hated travel, but I

realized I'm like, if I'm one, I

need to always be transparent

with my reps or not reps, my

partnership managers and most

importantly the customer.

How do I do that?

I know my brother, my father,

extremely easy to have me

calling them every hour.

I got to spend time there.

And I also have to work on, you

know, like R&D, right, to make

sure, because I know what's

happened in the past, we release

product and there's hiccups.

So cool, why not when I'm there,

help out as much as I can and

make sure that when we say we're

going to release something,

we're going to have it.

So that was a big thing for

that.

So I was like, hey, I got to be

able to do this 'cause I got to

know what's really, I got to

know what's going on.

And these guys, they have enough

on their plate to be answering

their younger brother, their

kid.

So it's a hard truth and I, I

need to accept it and I love it

because I love being in the

factory that that is my pride

and joy right there.

But the other one was OK.

I need to try and fail.

And I don't care if it's the

stupidest idea that that you

have ever heard because

sometimes they are.

Well, that's my process I like

to do.

I like to this crazy shit and

just like see if it works.

Dude, sometimes the really dumb

ideas wind up being huge

successes.

Have you heard of a smaller car

company named LFD?

I've I've heard of them once or

twice.

Once.

Or twice.

Yeah, stupidest idea ever.

Worked.

Somehow because all you guys at

home somehow smoke our products.

So thank you, right?

But no.

So that was, and I knew what I

was asking for, because you're

not just asking for freedom,

you're asking for two people who

made it on their own to give

control of their baby.

They're like you asked my mother

what she cares about and my

children and this thing I've

worked on for the past 30 years

and my husband like I will fight

and and I to protect.

That.

So for them to be like, yeah,

here, however, we're going to

tell you what we think every

step of the way.

I'm like, thank you.

So those were the 2 terms and

they have been so cool about it,

right?

You know, like 4 years ago.

You talk about like, OK, let's

start like asking for just like

baseline requirements, like so

expectations, you're out of your

mind.

You are out of your mind now

they're like, OK, let's see it

and it's working and they're

happy with it.

And again, you know everything

at the end of the day, when they

hear it, they may think it's

crazy, but they know that like

my purpose is to for now, even

after they're gone, but more so

now is to make sure whatever

they want accomplished, I got to

do it.

And they know that that's always

the intention of it.

Right.

So they've been really cool

about it.

Well, you also have a special

ability to to kind of navigate

through individuals and their

characteristics because you're

family, right?

Like you know what to expect

from your mom, you know what to

expect from your dad, you know

what to expect from your

brother.

And there can be backlash on any

of those terms.

And you can navigate through it

because you're a Gomez.

Exactly.

And I'm pretty sure that's why I

for the job that or why, I hate

to say this, but I, I really

kind of was in a way, like one

of the only ones who would do it

right.

Because I have my dude, I have

my priorities and my guys.

I also have my priorities to

with Ines and Lito.

And it's being able to take both

them and come up with your

perfect solution.

It's hard work, but it's, that's

it.

It's because I know how to work

with them, and in a respectful

manner of course.

Well, and then you can get away

with saying other things to them

as well, yeah.

As long as it's after 9:00 to

5:00 or if you're my father in a

cigar fish for now.

Interview.

Yeah.

They ask him.

They're like, yeah, this is a

quickest like you.

You ask him like my birthday.

It'll take him 5 minutes but

it's it's Savone hold.

On Hold on, Yeah.

Savone asked him.

Like, hey, like, what's it like

working with family?

It's a pain in the ass.

Flew out.

I'm all right that thanks.

Perfect.

And he sent it to us because

it's like, oh, look, what a

great interview because he

forgot about that.

And we're we're me and my

brother in the car driving back

from the farm.

We're like this guy, bro.

That's a pain in the ass.

All right.

Well before we kind of wrap up,

do you have anything you want to

add as far as anything new you

got coming out, anything that?

Suave.

Suave is the new SO.

Suave is the new new.

Just here.

How's that look, Mike?

Let me take it out of the

wrapper.

Yeah.

It's beautiful.

It.

Really.

Is that That's been a project

I'm making for a while.

Right.

Is that good?

Back up from there you go.

It's been a project in the mix

for a while.

We've had the designs and

concepts for like 4 to 4 to 2

years.

Laden was I, I think we sat down

like 2 years ago and we're like

art.

And it's that cool moment of

being a creator, right?

I'm sure you can relate to this.

It's like, all right, you

started like 2000. 12 for which

one?

For the Cigar Hustler.

Cigar Hustler's been around for

16 years.

And so what's that?

I don't know what that is.

What year is it?

Carry the one?

Yeah.

Niner, 2004, 2000, Something

like that.

How am I doing?

No, it's too far off 2004 two

two too young 2009, 2009 I can't

math so so Cigar house service

2009 and then Pausania's been

around for 10 years already.

Congrats on those 10 years,

it'll only get better.

God, I hope so.

You hope.

I trust we're rooting for you

guys, but I mean, when you began

making your own cigars, what was

your palate?

Man, that's a great question.

I would say that it was probably

bolder than what it is now.

And it when you were smoke when

you first started smoking too

much lighter.

Did you?

It was weird.

Like for me, I think it's more

of a similar story to you,

because like for me, when I got

into cigars, I didn't know

anything about cigars.

People came in, they wanted to

buy cigars.

I'm like, OK, I, I learned

cigar, right?

So I smoked a Kuba Kuba the.

Accent is awesome.

Right, so so I smoked a Kuba.

Kuba.

I'm like, oh, this is fun,

right?

Oh, what am I going to smoke

next?

What was the cigar of the year?

Oh, Castle Magna.

So I jumped right into that,

puked my brains out right and

then got back on the horse the

next day.

So I instinct like I was flavor

infused for about a week and

then boom, right into extreme.

Just a.

Week.

Yeah, extremely full bodied

cigars and just, you know.

If it was a week and a half, we

would have been in the

conversation right now.

Yeah, that that changed, that

would have changed everything

for me, but.

So yeah, it's you.

Like me, I have a change in my

outlet every time I eat bro.

Right.

And it's with the consumer at

home, right?

And and again, you learned a lot

in 10 Years Ave.

Sure man.

You know, you have to understand

the nuances of things.

And and that's the coolest thing

about it.

It's like once you start really

getting into it, it's not that

you're like, you pick up nuances

and that becomes your life

blending nuance.

You want nuancing your cigars.

This is ridiculously good by the

way.

Like insane.

Solis yeah, the long day.

Yeah, this.

So you can't get this size, is

that what you're saying dude?

Eventually, I'll take care.

Of you obnoxiously good.

I'm not.

And that again, that is this

whole principle story I'm

telling about to suave.

It has to do with that.

I love the solace.

I grew up smoking my father's at

Box Press Petite Corona, right?

So 4240. 4 cigars that you made

that you can never sell to

anybody because he wants to

take, he wants to take them all.

I mean, we do we.

Do sell them.

Backward, it's quite expensive.

Good point.

But the whole point of this is

like where we are is not where

we started.

Suave originated from the

premium line.

So back in 1994, before LFD was

even called LFD, it was a

premium line and quintessential

Dominican cigar.

Right.

Connecticut shade on really mild

tobacco and it was prior to us

having the farm, which I'm sure

you know, this farm is why LFD

is full body because we could

grow stuff there that you can't

grow in the world.

It's ridiculous.

And then LFD also and comes and

makes these powerhouse cigars

and change the American Republic

forever.

And now we're sitting here 30

years later, OK, we have this

mild cigar and I mean, you know,

it's bro, our whole blinding

philosophy is like, we're going

to make sure that we like at

obviously we're going to change

it up and make like different

styles, but we like shit that we

like and this is too mild.

So we sat down.

We spent a lot of time smoking

the old Swale and we like, all

right, let's make it the LFT of

now.

And it's a cool because the same

thing we're talking about

pallets, the consumers, they

change every every week,

especially a new guy, you know.

So we decided to approach it the

same way, right?

I guess you could say a little

Cubanesque, but LFD flavor.

So once you smoke that, you're

going to sit there and be like,

yo, this is a medium cigar.

But it has, it tastes like a

full body LFD.

And it's kind of in this

pursuit, like if you look at all

our products in the past couple

years, a lot of medium.

Yeah, they have a very unique

like the Solis and the normal

size super unique like they

have.

They have a full body and

flavor.

Especially in this vitola dude,

it's.

Ridiculous and Avitola is the

same thing.

I was smoking the other one, but

I'm like, wait a minute, I I I

like small ring ages right and

longer cigars.

I'm going to do it in a box

press Lonsdale.

Which the funniest thing they

have no idea what a Lonsdale is

in the American Republic.

Like if you walk up to a roller,

they're like.

Mega Lonzo.

Yeah, So I ordered these from

the GMO factory.

I ordered these from the GMO,

the factory and a month goes by.

I I got the bundles.

I didn't even look at them, but

they're all like bar coded.

And I bring one up to New

Hampshire.

I was training my my Rep that I

have now in New Jersey and

Pennsylvania, and he looks and

we're with a bunch of and we're

with Nick Goss.

All them assholes rubbing your

hands, right?

Yeah, it's fucking.

It but.

We're there, we're there smoking

and and Matt looks at me.

He's like, hey, bro, like have

you seen this?

I look at this, I look at this

bar called a long day.

So it goes from lawns donut or

you think it was a long day,

which and they spelled it right,

which I was like, hey, you guys

are learning.

I love it and it started, I

couldn't stop laughing and it

made sense cause the soul is the

sun.

Long day.

So now we just go out.

It's a long day and we never had

any.

Yeah, it's personal.

You know, it's because the

market for that shape is a

little weird.

I know.

But we're fully planning on

releasing it at some capacity

just because it's on a long day,

right?

And it's phenomenal.

You know, the best stories are,

are the are the accidents, man,

the happy little accidents.

Again, have you heard of LFD?

Right.

Absolutely, dude.

Yeah.

All right.

So Suave's coming out.

Fraud coming out, another one we

have.

So the Oro at PCA, we released

20 count boxes, OK, out of the

tube.

Great for you guys watching at

home because without the tube

it's $2.00 less.

It's less.

And it's a great cigar and it's

extra cigar that you're going to

be seeing some some cool unique

sizes come out and us so sick

that I could actually have like

a date now and be sure October.

Allegedly October.

October.

Isn't that crazy?

Yeah, you think it's, you think

it's really happening on

October.

Yeah, Yeah, yeah, yeah.

That's awesome.

We're already in production box

have been made.

OK, And it's the cool thing

about the oral, right?

It's one, it's a cigar that we

have.

Procurement is always a problem.

But that's a guy.

No, really, we're we have the

tobacco sport.

And it's a line that also has a

story that often time gets

forgotten.

My father almost lost his life

twice just as a jeweler.

No kidding.

Yeah, he was held out on point

twice.

And the second time my father is

not the most religious man.

Matter of fact, I think we've

been asked to leave church on it

once and twice, but I'll just

leave it at that.

Can't get can't get too deep on

that one.

Sorry guys, but so.

But he always says he's like for

the first time ever, I prayed

and I said, God, I know I'm not

your, your perfect soldier.

I'm sorry.

If you let me live, I'll never

touch a piece of jewelry in my

life.

And that's what led Lido Gomez

eventually become the Lido Gomez

we know.

That no kidding.

Because that's what got no

cigars.

So the auto was released for

that.

So it's cool because both of

these lines that we're really

revamping this year, they have a

story that's so near and dear to

our hearts and in a way

relatable, right?

Because I'm sure a lot of people

have had situations where it's

either you're if rediscovering

yourself or you at your lowest

point and you decide to all

right, let's do something else

and go from there.

This looks totally different

than than the original suave.

I want you to smoke it off to

that while we're here and then

you're going to it's the flavors

is on the other side of it.

I'm looking forward to it, man.

It's.

Absolutely ridiculous.

All right.

Well, dude, thanks so much for

coming on.

I appreciate appreciate the

interview on the.

Podcast, I have one last

question from.

You you go ahead tables, yeah.

Tell me, are you from a throwing

household?

A throwing household.

Were there inanimate objects

being flying at all?

All times.

No, not too much.

Not, you know, there weren't,

weren't a lot of things being

thrown or were things thrown at

your house.

Oh yeah.

Yeah, what?

What was the best thing that was

thrown at your house?

A hamster once.

A hamster Who threw the hamster?

And my dad, your dad.

Threw the hamster.

Yeah, fuck you do.

What?

I mean, but no, I no, it's a

question I asked because it's,

it's tells me a little bit about

your character.

Yeah, Yeah, right.

I mean think about it, if you

grow up, just shift flying.

You gotta be ready.

Yeah, and there's various

different throws.

Another funny 1 is my my father

has like he can't eat off a cold

plate.

Right, the plate has to be hot.

The plate needs to be warm.

You can't put warm food on a on

like a room temperature plate,

right?

Apparently it's sacrilegious.

Now what's that like at

restaurants, bro?

What how?

How does that work?

Oh, he won't eat unless it comes

warm.

They so he requests the plate

being heated.

No, he just knows He.

Just knows.

He knows yeah, most restaurants

they the plate were like so at

our house, it's like he always

we have these gas burners, right

He.

He.

He.

He he puts fucking around my

plates on glass so like.

How many plates did he break?

Like 2 a week.

That's amazing.

So, you know, growing up, you

got it when you know, when

you're sitting because or it's

an open like kitchen to like the

the family room, right.

So you hear that?

Gosh, you're like, all right,

start time to start dunking and

weaving, baby.

Yeah, no, let's go get ready.

It's a dog.

We have a lab.

So the hungriest thing ever,

right When he's in that kitchen,

she sees a play Goat Bro, he's

under the she's under the couch.

She knows.

Because she has been hit with

more pieces of ceramics that I

say poor thing, but it's it's a

question.

I like that.

Like Marcus, for example, he

doesn't have to tell me.

I I know he was getting shit

thrown on 20 for something,

right?

He's sharp on his toes, you

know?

You got to be ready, Marcus.

Welcome.

Welcome to LFD.

You're about to have an Amster

launch right at your.

Board, we're going to stop by

the pet store on the way out.

Look at that.

Oh, there's one around the

corner, right?

Yeah man, you can buy hamsters

in bulk.

Do they have a rattlesnake I can

throw at?

Them maybe maybe.

See how quick you are bro?

We're.

Going to find out find out if

you're equipped to handle LFD or

not.

No, that's how you learned.

But hey, seriously, thank you to

sit here with you.

It's been a pleasure.

Yeah, man.

Thanks for coming up.

I'm sure we're people who see

eye to eye and a lot of shit and

it's cool to be a part of your

story as well as as you guys

mind so.

I appreciate it.

Thank you guys for for listening

at home.

I love you all.

If you guys have any want to hit

me up, follow us LFD on

Instagram, LFD, LITO junior,

just all together and yeah.

Have a great day.

All right, Bye.

Perfect.

Show Notes

In this exclusive special episode, we sit down with Litto Gomez Junior for a rare behind-the-scenes look at La Flor Dominicana (LFD) cigars. From the fields to the factory, Litto Jr. shares personal stories, family legacy, and the passion that fuels one of the most innovative cigar brands in the industry. Tune in for an insider’s perspective on craftsmanship, challenges, and what’s next for LFD.