Episode 121

Be Present: Conscious Living Through Cigars | Reinhard Pohorec, Meerapfel Cigar | Box Press Ep. 121

Ready to get metaphysical over cigars? "Everything is an experience," says sensory expert and cigar passionado Reinhard Pohorec. And what a vision quest this entrepreneur is on since he joined UberLuxury cigar brand Meerapfel as its vice president. You might recognize Reinhard as host of the live cigar podcast, Light 'em Up Lounge, where he talks to cigar insiders. Tables turn as Boveda's Drew Emmer interviews Reinhard to talk first cigars, work-life balance, and finding your purpose.

What is Boveda? Luxury and craft cigars brands protect their blends with Boveda 2-way humidity control—that brown pack that you find in the box with your cigars. Boveda preserves the flavor and character of premium cigars by keeping them at ideal humidity. At home, continue to use Boveda in your humidor to keep cigars well-humidified or they can be hard to light, burn to too fast or get moldy. With Boveda in your humidor, you'll enjoy full flavor and a perfect smoke from every cigar.

Get more cigar tips and news from Boveda emails: https://hubs.la/Q01BLsBF0

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bovedausa/

X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/BovedaInc

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bovedainc/?..

Transcript
Speaker:

(upbeat rock music)

2

:

(gentle guitar music)

3

:

- There's a story inside every smoke shop,

4

:

with every cigar and with every person.

5

:

Come be a part of the

cigar lifestyle at Boveda.

6

:

This is Box Press.

7

:

- Thanks for having a cigar with me.

8

:

- Well, I have to thank you.

9

:

It's a privilege.

10

:

Sharing those moments

is priceless, I feel.

11

:

- What are you inspired about today?

12

:

What is driving you today with

your pursuits around here?

13

:

You have a lot of relationships

14

:

in the cigar industry, obviously.

15

:

Reconnecting with friends you haven't seen

16

:

perhaps since last year?

17

:

- Absolutely.

18

:

Well, I didn't make it

to the show last year

19

:

because of a family situation at home.

20

:

I'm taking care of my

grandmother. She's 102 now.

21

:

So certain things had to be done.

22

:

I couldn't make it to the show.

23

:

But I was here last two weeks,

24

:

two years ago.

- Two years ago.

25

:

- Two years ago. That's what you call it.

26

:

Sitting down with you

guys. And now we're back.

27

:

So as you said, it is

all about reconnecting,

28

:

seeing people again,

giving everybody a big hug

29

:

and sharing a cigar.

30

:

- Are you as passionate about food

31

:

as you are about cigars?

32

:

- Oh, absolutely. Yeah.

33

:

My earliest childhood memories are

34

:

always around the family table,

35

:

kneading dough with my

grandfather, baking bread.

36

:

I come from a very simple

and poor background.

37

:

So we never had much, but

we had the family table.

38

:

- And tell people where you're from.

39

:

- Austria.

40

:

I was born and raised in Vienna.

41

:

I always say I'm a

classical Viennese mixture,

42

:

a little bit of everything

43

:

that the former Habsburg monarchy,

44

:

Austro-Hungarian Empire had to offer.

45

:

So my name is Slovenian,

but I had mixed influences

46

:

and different parts of the family,

47

:

but true Viennese born and raised.

48

:

I spent most of my life there,

49

:

apart from the time I spent in London.

50

:

I live and work there.

51

:

Always enjoyed London,

consider it my second home.

52

:

And I was working in the

hospitality industry there.

53

:

So I was a bartender at the

American Bar at the Savoy.

54

:

I worked for a consultancy company

55

:

and co-opened a gin craft distillery

56

:

right in the city of London.

57

:

So in fact, the finer things in life,

58

:

food, good drinks,

59

:

that's always been an

integral part of my life

60

:

and what I enjoy the most.

61

:

I have to say, though,

62

:

people in the wine and spirits industry

63

:

and in the food industry,

64

:

they are passionate.

65

:

But I have never experienced anything

66

:

like the premium cigar industry

67

:

when it comes to how people come together,

68

:

how you connect through a humble cigar.

69

:

The conversation that

you're having, it's unique.

70

:

And that's utterly fascinating.

71

:

- I wonder why that is.

72

:

Just one idea of why that

might be the case is,

73

:

it causes you to slow down,

74

:

causes you to be present.

75

:

It's very hard to enjoy a cigar

76

:

if you're not fully engaged

77

:

in the experience of enjoying the cigar.

78

:

- It's not something you do rushed

79

:

whilst you're running from A to B.

80

:

- You don't do it passively.

- Absolutely.

81

:

- I mean, it's not,

82

:

I mean, you may listen to music,

83

:

you may enjoy a meal.

84

:

You know, we had opportunity

to eat a few meals

85

:

together with the team.

86

:

And the complaint among the group is,

87

:

most of the places you eat in Las Vegas,

88

:

you can't enjoy a cigar while eating.

89

:

So, but in a lot of times

previously we've been here,

90

:

we'd go to Ferraro's or

we'd sit out on the patio

91

:

and eat this sumptuous Italian dinner.

92

:

And while we're eating,

during the courses,

93

:

we're enjoying, we had

cigars going during the meal.

94

:

Is that a European thing or is that a-

95

:

- I think it very much is.

96

:

The only downside would be that

97

:

in a lot of European countries,

98

:

given the regulatory framework,

99

:

you don't have that opportunity anymore.

100

:

And you don't get the

privilege and pleasure

101

:

of enjoying a good meal with a cigar.

102

:

In certain countries, it's still possible.

103

:

But in Austria, for example,

104

:

you wouldn't have that opportunity

105

:

because smoking is mostly forbidden

106

:

indoors in public places.

107

:

So that's a bit of a

challenge and a hurdle.

108

:

But there's something very, very special

109

:

about that moment when you

share a meal with somebody,

110

:

you're breaking bread together

111

:

and you share a cigar.

112

:

- Well, and typically a

European, in my opinion,

113

:

would be inclined to have a

more long course of dinner

114

:

than an American.

115

:

We're a lot of times obsessed

116

:

with getting back to

whatever we were doing.

117

:

Or there isn't the time taken and the-

118

:

- The hustle and bustle, work,

119

:

always being busy.

120

:

It's true.

121

:

I see more and more of

that internationally,

122

:

though, as well.

123

:

And I think in the time that we live in,

124

:

everything is fast paced.

125

:

Everything is digital,

everything is online.

126

:

You're constantly available.

127

:

And I very much love the,

128

:

what you mentioned earlier

129

:

and the topic that you

brought up about time.

130

:

To me, a cigar is time

131

:

and it is also the perfect

product for our current time,

132

:

because more than ever, it's

so relevant to slow down,

133

:

focus on being present in the moment

134

:

and to just enjoy a great conversation,

135

:

appreciate the moment for what it is.

136

:

And that could also be

just a moment for yourself.

137

:

When you sit down with a cigar

138

:

and you contemplate, you think about life,

139

:

about the day you had, the

conversations you shared

140

:

or reading a great book.

141

:

So whether it's time for yourself

142

:

or time shared with somebody else,

143

:

the cigar is kind of

always like the facilitator

144

:

that makes the entire

experience unique, I find.

145

:

- So in your creative journey

146

:

and the things that you've

worked on in your career,

147

:

you're known as a creative,

an inspirational creator.

148

:

I mean, that's kind of the

reputation that you have,

149

:

at least in what I've read about you

150

:

and what I've heard about you.

151

:

I'm just, I'm curious,

152

:

where your work life with,

153

:

are you engaged fully in Meerapfel

154

:

day in, day out?

155

:

- Being the vice president

for Meerapfel Cigar,

156

:

that is what I focus on, what

I spend my time, my energy on,

157

:

and where I'm delighted and humbled

158

:

to attribute and dedicate my time

159

:

and resources and my passion.

160

:

I had an interesting path

in life and career thus far.

161

:

I'm still a young gentleman

with 35 years of age,

162

:

but I had the privilege of

exploring different industries

163

:

and different fields of expertise.

164

:

But as I told you before,

165

:

it always kind of evolved

166

:

around the inspiration

that I have from my family

167

:

and growing up in a humble environment

168

:

where the meal was important,

169

:

the family table was important,

170

:

a good conversation was important,

171

:

and it always stayed with me.

172

:

I then ventured into a few other things.

173

:

I mean, I studied socioeconomics.

174

:

I worked with handicapped pupils.

175

:

I was a skiing instructor.

176

:

I almost became a professional musician.

177

:

I'm a drummer and a singer,

178

:

but I eventually

reconnected with the things

179

:

that inspired me most as a young child.

180

:

And that's always been

181

:

those simple, honest,

handcrafted products.

182

:

Like a great piece of

bread, a wonderful wine,

183

:

or a handmade premium cigar.

184

:

And so at some point I understood

185

:

that this is truly what I would love to do

186

:

with the time that I'm given,

that I'm presented with,

187

:

is to share experiences with other people

188

:

that are somewhat memorable

and meaningful to them.

189

:

And doing that through an analog product,

190

:

something that is real and tangible,

191

:

that you can smell and that you can taste,

192

:

for me, is the most impactful

and direct way to do that.

193

:

Because it hits you right away.

194

:

It does something to you,

195

:

especially our senses of smell and taste.

196

:

I mean, all our sensory system,

197

:

it's so interconnected,

everything's intertwined,

198

:

but our senses of smell

and taste are so relevant

199

:

in the day-to-day life and

how we perceive the world,

200

:

how we think about life.

201

:

Also on an emotional level,

202

:

it has to do with how our

brain sort of takes in

203

:

and works in all these

sensory triggers that we get.

204

:

But it immediately links with

our memory, with our emotions.

205

:

To give you a simple example,

206

:

everybody has a certain scent,

207

:

a certain memory of

your grandmother's dish

208

:

when you open the door

coming home from school

209

:

or after a long day of work.

- Definitely.

210

:

- And there's that one meal

that puts you in a place

211

:

of tranquility and peace and comfort

212

:

where, you know, I'm home.

213

:

- No, I'm experiencing it right now

214

:

as you're talking about it.

215

:

I'm just paging through

memories that I have and-

216

:

- And isn't it fascinating

217

:

how you can recall those memories?

218

:

And I have a taste on my tongue.

219

:

I have a scent in my nose

from the potato bread

220

:

that my grandfather used to bake.

221

:

And that always reminds

me of how important it is

222

:

to appreciate those things

223

:

and to be more connected with our senses,

224

:

with our perception of the world.

225

:

- Well, and you could have

stopped the sentence with,

226

:

just with "to be more connected."

227

:

I was thinking,

228

:

I had a conversation

with one of the gentlemen

229

:

that runs the Luxury Cigar Club,

230

:

and we were talking about

the luxury experience

231

:

and how there's almost

an exhibitionist approach

232

:

to luxury consumption, at

least in American society,

233

:

and with all the social media.

234

:

And going back to the simplicity

235

:

of when you talk about the bread,

236

:

when you talk about the smell

at the door when you walk in,

237

:

that connects you to a memory,

238

:

that connects you to yourself.

239

:

It's conscious living

240

:

and the ability of luxury experiences

241

:

to impact conscious living

242

:

as opposed to being just

strictly looked upon

243

:

as a hedonistic escape.

244

:

You know, it's,

245

:

not to be judgmental

about hedonistic escapes,

246

:

but it's like, there's so much more.

247

:

- Absolutely.

248

:

- About being present in the moment

249

:

and it's really getting rather deep.

250

:

But I'm rather enjoying it.

251

:

- And, you know, that's why we said,

252

:

Meerapfel Cigar, we

call it the UberLuxury.

253

:

I mean, this cigar has created

254

:

the segment of UberLuxury

in the cigar world.

255

:

And by that we're not talking

about the price point.

256

:

We're talking about the

hedonistic experience.

257

:

We're talking about analog,

we're talking about time,

258

:

and we're talking about preserving

259

:

certain values and traditions

260

:

that have been important in the past.

261

:

And we probably somehow

forgot some of those things

262

:

in these very hectic environments

263

:

and in the world that we live in.

264

:

And that's also,

265

:

and coming back to what we were discussing

266

:

about my previous work experiences.

267

:

That's where I immediately understood

268

:

and realized that the Meerapfel family

269

:

has a unique legacy and history,

270

:

with 400 years and 11 generations.

271

:

And this project, it's a legacy project.

272

:

It's a means to share values

and history with people

273

:

through an actual cigar.

274

:

And that was why I immediately connected

275

:

with this idea and with the concept,

276

:

besides the fact that I

share a European heritage

277

:

and an upbringing like

the Meerapfel family.

278

:

So there's certain things

that we have in common

279

:

and that we clicked

initially and immediately.

280

:

And that's why I'm blessed and grateful

281

:

to dedicate my time and resources to this.

282

:

- Who smokes that cigar?

283

:

- That's a very interesting question.

284

:

And without being judgmental

285

:

or, you know, stressing

any preconceived notions,

286

:

we always wanted Meerapfel Cigar to be

287

:

affordable and available

for pretty much anybody.

288

:

Yes, this is a luxury

cigar, an UberLuxury cigar

289

:

with a certain price point to it.

290

:

But everybody should have the opportunity

291

:

to enjoy a Meerapfel cigar at least once.

292

:

And depending on where you are,

293

:

availability, a certain disposable income,

294

:

that might be once a month, once a year,

295

:

or once in a lifetime.

- Or once in a lifetime.

296

:

- But I think this is a product for people

297

:

who treasure those

values that we discussed.

298

:

People who want to take the time

299

:

to reflect on what was important,

300

:

what has been important,

301

:

what is and will be

important for a long time.

302

:

And certainly people who appreciate

303

:

the finer things in life, right?

304

:

No question about that.

305

:

But

306

:

I've seen

307

:

men and women all around the world

308

:

lighting up one of these cigars.

309

:

And I can tell you

every single one of them

310

:

took a moment, looked

at the cigar, smelled.

311

:

- It's a beautiful cigar.

- The ethereal sense,

312

:

and had that taste sensation

lingering on the palate.

313

:

And there's always something happening.

314

:

I see it in the eyes.

315

:

I see it when,

316

:

it's kind of like that moment

where you stop for a moment

317

:

and you realize that something

very special is happening.

318

:

And I have that with cigars in general,

319

:

where I feel very much

connected with all the people

320

:

who invested so much time and energy

321

:

into crafting and creating this.

322

:

But even more so when you

reflect upon a family history

323

:

and a legacy of 11 generations

324

:

who have been so heavily

involved with trading tobaccos

325

:

all around the world

326

:

and shaping the industry

in one way or another,

327

:

even though mostly behind the scenes,

328

:

because the name Meerapfel,

329

:

to many people who enjoy

tobacco and cigars,

330

:

might still be rather unknown,

331

:

though the family has been

around for such a long time.

332

:

And so that's what's

so fascinating for me,

333

:

when you see something click,

334

:

something happens with the people

335

:

where they connect with themselves,

336

:

but also with something

that's bigger than themselves

337

:

and has meaning.

338

:

- Everybody has a first

experience with a cigar.

339

:

They're varied.

340

:

And a father sharing

something with a son, a buddy,

341

:

you know, my recollection of cigars

342

:

was playing garage poker

343

:

and smoking really cheap,

store-bought, you know,

344

:

like convenience store-bought cigars

345

:

like a Swisher or a White Owl

346

:

or whatever back in high school,

347

:

late high school, early college.

348

:

Today I take a lot of pleasure

349

:

from giving cigars to people.

350

:

- Oh yeah.

351

:

- Finding someone that

maybe I met at the store

352

:

that I visit with regularity

353

:

and they were smoking a,

354

:

perhaps a infused cigar.

355

:

because that's how they got introduced.

356

:

And then introducing them

to a Connecticut or a Maduro

357

:

or Habana wrapper that I

like, that's approachable

358

:

and not gonna put a

dent in their forehead,

359

:

that they're gonna have

a decent experience with

360

:

to take it to the next level.

361

:

What's your experience been

362

:

with introducing people to cigars?

363

:

Or is that part of your focus

364

:

as you look at your Meerapfel experience

365

:

in terms of how to engage people?

366

:

- I think there's different aspects

367

:

how to best answer that question.

368

:

One is, I love introducing

people to cigars

369

:

when they probably haven't

had that experience before.

370

:

And to give them the

opportunity to explore

371

:

and experience the unique magic

372

:

of a conversation and a cigar

shared with great people.

373

:

I wouldn't necessarily present somebody

374

:

with a Meerapfel cigar

375

:

as their first cigar ever.

376

:

But that's the other aspect.

377

:

If you meet somebody who is

a seasoned cigar aficionado,

378

:

and I have the privilege

of presenting them

379

:

with a Meerapfel cigar,

380

:

that to me is a very, very special moment.

381

:

I mean, you saw that it makes me humble

382

:

and I'm very respectful in

the way I treat these cigars.

383

:

Because even for me,

384

:

it's a rare treat to enjoy one of these.

385

:

- Downright reverent.

386

:

- But to have the opportunity

to present somebody,

387

:

a friend, a fellow, or even a stranger,

388

:

with a Meerapfel cigar,

389

:

to me is a magical moment.

390

:

So it's both the ability

391

:

to introduce new people

to the world of cigars

392

:

or to introduce people who already had,

393

:

who had tipped their toe into the waters

394

:

of premium cigars

395

:

and then introduce them

to a Meerapfel cigar

396

:

are equally special and and beautiful.

397

:

- Do you remember your first one?

398

:

- My first Meerapfel cigar?

399

:

- Yeah.

- Yes, absolutely.

400

:

As it were yesterday.

401

:

It was together with Jeremiah Meerapfel.

402

:

We were in Belgium at a beautiful castle

403

:

called Château de Moxhe

404

:

and we broke open a box

of Meerapfel cigars.

405

:

We visited a very good

friend of the family

406

:

and we at the same time

had the opportunity

407

:

to shoot some photo and video

content for Meerapfel Cigar.

408

:

And it was the first time

that I sat down with Jeremiah.

409

:

He presented me with a Meerapfel cigar.

410

:

In fact, it was a Meir Pyramid,

411

:

same cigar that I'm smoking right now.

412

:

And it was like the world stopped.

413

:

I didn't think about

time and place anymore.

414

:

And I just had that very

moment shared with Jeremiah

415

:

and to explore and experience

416

:

the cigar for the first time.

417

:

- It sounds like a fabulous

setting for that introduction.

418

:

- Absolutely.

419

:

I couldn't have thought

about a better place

420

:

with that gorgeous environment,

surrounded by lovely people

421

:

and then getting to share one of these.

422

:

- So did the friendship precede

423

:

the engagement with the company?

424

:

Was there-

- Oh, absolutely.

425

:

- For a long length of time?

426

:

- Absolutely, yes.

427

:

Otherwise, I couldn't be in that place

428

:

and I wouldn't want to,

to work on a project

429

:

if I don't feel like

430

:

it has a special meaning or I belong.

431

:

And, you know, I've been

self-employed for 10 years,

432

:

running my own company,

433

:

and to take the time and

the effort and the passion

434

:

to invest myself into a project,

435

:

it means a lot to me.

436

:

And I couldn't do it for any other,

437

:

you know, random project and product.

438

:

It took me a while to realize in life,

439

:

what's really important

is to love what you do

440

:

and to enjoy every single

day, not even going to work.

441

:

You know, for me, the whole

concept of work-life balance

442

:

doesn't exist,

443

:

because there's meaning in

what I get to do for a living.

444

:

And I consider it an

integral part of my life.

445

:

We all spend most of our time working,

446

:

so I never wanted it to feel like work.

447

:

So I have to love and enjoy it.

448

:

And besides having an

entrepreneurial spirit and mindset,

449

:

for me, whichever project I work on,

450

:

whichever product I get to work with,

451

:

I give it my all.

452

:

And I would always treat

it not only with respect,

453

:

but as if it were my own.

454

:

And that was crucial in the way

455

:

the relationship and the

friendship evolved with Jeremiah

456

:

and then afterwards with

the whole Meerapfel family

457

:

and with our family team,

458

:

where it's an integral part

459

:

of the way we come

together, we work together.

460

:

And what we then get to

share with the outside world.

461

:

- You look at statistics and data

462

:

that's produced in surveys,

463

:

and the vast majority of people

464

:

aren't in love with what they do.

465

:

What a gift.

466

:

- That's why I said I would hope to,

467

:

I would love that that's the case.

468

:

And I hope

469

:

that could serve as an inspiration

to other people as well,

470

:

to have the courage to reconsider

471

:

what it is they're

passionate about in life

472

:

and what they get to do on a daily basis.

473

:

At the end of the day, what do

we want to be remembered for?

474

:

Or what do we want to think about

475

:

and remember ourselves

476

:

when eventually things come to an end

477

:

or we go onto the next

part of our journey, right?

478

:

I would hope that we can say,

479

:

with gratitude and with joy, that

480

:

we had the opportunity to

do something with our lives

481

:

that is meaningful and

that means something

482

:

to ourselves and to other people,

483

:

and that hopefully we got to share moments

484

:

and experience with other people

485

:

that are worth remembering.

486

:

And you know, you always say,

"Lead by example," right?

487

:

And I wouldn't dare say that

488

:

we get to influence other people

489

:

in what they want to do with their life

490

:

or where they're supposed

to end up work-wise.

491

:

But I hope that it can be a role model

492

:

where other people also think about,

493

:

what do we do with the

time that we are given

494

:

and that we're presented

with and make it memorable.

495

:

- I'm very relaxed all of a sudden.

496

:

I've gone from,

497

:

"Who's gonna be on the schedule today

498

:

and how many people are we

gonna be able to connect with?"

499

:

And I'm just in a sort

of a place in the day

500

:

where I'm just, I feel really relaxed.

501

:

I wanna thank you for that.

502

:

- I have to thank you.

- Experience in conversation.

503

:

I mean, it's just a lovely experience.

504

:

- I wouldn't dare say, like,

505

:

you're in a bubble, right?

506

:

But it feels like you

become somewhat disconnected

507

:

from what's happening around,

508

:

from all the hustle and

bustle and, you know,

509

:

time and place aren't

that relevant anymore

510

:

because you get to share and

enjoy something, an experience.

511

:

And that's what cigars,

what great cigars can do,

512

:

and what great conversation does.

513

:

- Talk about Light 'Em Up.

514

:

Talk about your interviewing world.

515

:

- I think it comes back to

what we were discussing before.

516

:

The whole idea of Light

'Em Up from day one

517

:

has been to build bridges,

bring people together,

518

:

and provide a safe space and environment

519

:

where people can meet and

enjoy a great conversation.

520

:

Ever since day one,

521

:

Light 'Em Up has been

about the love and respect

522

:

for the premium cigar industry,

523

:

the people therein,

524

:

and how we can share those stories

525

:

with the outside world,

526

:

whether it's a cigar enthusiast

527

:

or people who never enjoyed

and smoked a premium cigar.

528

:

We have people joining

from all over the world,

529

:

all walks of life,

530

:

and everything from a seasoned

cigar enthusiast aficionado,

531

:

a once every-now-and-then kind of smoker,

532

:

to people who never

enjoyed a premium cigar,

533

:

but they love the conversation.

534

:

And not once,

535

:

but many times I had

people coming up to me

536

:

or sending an email, a text message,

537

:

or a DM on social media,

538

:

that they don't smoke cigars,

539

:

they've never tried one in their life,

540

:

but they love joining

541

:

because they're fascinated

by the conversations

542

:

and the stories of these people.

543

:

What inspired them, what influenced them,

544

:

and what ultimately

brought them to the dance

545

:

and to the industry.

546

:

And that to me is a true testament

547

:

of what we discussed earlier,

548

:

the ability of a premium

cigar to bring people together

549

:

and to give us an

opportunity to share a moment

550

:

and share certain stories.

551

:

And so that has always been the nucleus

552

:

and the core of Light 'Em Up

553

:

And still to this day it is.

554

:

And on a weekly basis, every Wednesday,

555

:

we get to open our virtual lounge via Zoom

556

:

to the people who come and join us.

557

:

We have normally a guest, a star guest,

558

:

an icon from the cigar industry

to lead the conversation

559

:

and to share the interview with me.

560

:

And then we have people joining

from all around the world

561

:

directly via Zoom at the lounge

562

:

or through the live

stream that we put online

563

:

and become immersed in that experience

564

:

and become part of it.

565

:

So it's not like a static format

566

:

where you just sit and watch

or you listen to a podcast,

567

:

but you can truly become

part of the experience.

568

:

And that to me is very important.

569

:

It's a different way of

engaging with the conversation

570

:

and not to just passively listen,

571

:

but to truly be a part of it.

572

:

- I've enjoyed the occasion

to interview people

573

:

and have conversations that

we've captured on video

574

:

for our podcasts

575

:

and different events that

we've participated in.

576

:

And what I've loved so much about it is,

577

:

it's a very parallel reflection

578

:

of what Boveda is about as a company.

579

:

We're an asterisk on this entire industry.

580

:

We're not the star of the show.

581

:

We're a supporting actor.

582

:

We're committed to helping our customers

583

:

enjoy their passions,

584

:

maximize their passions.

585

:

And there's something,

586

:

it's just a privilege to get with people

587

:

and give them space to tell their story

588

:

or share the notion that

they're fascinated with

589

:

in the moment.

590

:

It's a real reflection

591

:

of what this endeavor has been for me.

592

:

That's what I do,

593

:

I introduce people to, basically,

594

:

to freshness and to maintaining quality

595

:

of things that we love.

596

:

- It's a beautiful analogy

that you brought up

597

:

and I never thought of it that way

598

:

in regards to Boveda,

599

:

but it is entirely what I have experienced

600

:

through Light 'Em Up

601

:

and through my journalistic

work in general.

602

:

It takes,

603

:

I don't know if humility

is the right word,

604

:

but the realization

that it's not about you,

605

:

it's about providing an

opportunity and a platform

606

:

for other people to share their story,

607

:

to express themselves,

608

:

and for the viewer, the

listener, the participants

609

:

to engage and become part of that story.

610

:

You have to take a step back.

611

:

- It's interest, it's,

612

:

people have interest in something

613

:

for a variety of motivations.

614

:

So I can be interested

615

:

because of something you're gonna give me.

616

:

I'm going to get paid

617

:

because I sold you something, you know,

618

:

or you can be interested

619

:

for the sake of being interested,

620

:

to genuinely-

- And funnily enough,

621

:

I think everything else then

is a natural progression

622

:

or is a natural result of that.

623

:

I never believed in sales

624

:

or being salesy for the sake of,

625

:

"I'm trying to talk you into,

626

:

this is the best thing

ever since sliced bread."

627

:

If we genuinely get

together, share a story

628

:

and share the interest

with the other person

629

:

so that I get to know you and

learn what you are all about,

630

:

what the company or the product

631

:

that you work for and with is all about,

632

:

everything else will follow.

633

:

And so I think you hit

the nail on the head

634

:

and you phrased it perfectly.

635

:

It's the genuine interest

for the other person.

636

:

And then we come together and suddenly,

637

:

one plus one equals-

638

:

- Way more than two.

- Absolutely.

639

:

There's a cigar for every

moment and every occasion.

640

:

And that could be

different things, you know?

641

:

Similar to aromas and flavors

642

:

being different for everybody

643

:

based on your sensory experiences

644

:

and the database of aromaticity and tastes

645

:

that you have built for yourself,

646

:

the references that you

have for certain triggers

647

:

that hit your sensory system, right?

648

:

So I don't necessarily

like to talk all too much

649

:

about, "The cigar tastes like X, Y, Z,"

650

:

because it might be

different for everybody.

651

:

- Yeah. Go experience it yourself.

652

:

- And who am I to tell you that,

653

:

you know, this has a note of

frankincense in it, right?

654

:

It might be different for you,

655

:

but we can talk about it.

656

:

And there again, the cigar

becomes a door opener

657

:

to a great conversation

658

:

and a whole journey beyond that.

659

:

- Reinhardt, I wanna thank

you for the conversation.

660

:

(gentle music)

- Thank you very much.

661

:

It's been an absolute pleasure for me.

662

:

- It was a treat. I hope

we get to do it again.

663

:

- I look forward to that.

Thank you very much.

664

:

- Yeah.

665

:

(gentle music fades out)