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

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(upbeat rock music)

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(gentle guitar music)

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- There's a story inside every smoke shop,

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with every cigar and with every person.

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Come be a part of the

cigar lifestyle at Boveda.

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This is Box Press.

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- Thanks for having a cigar with me.

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- Well, I have to thank you.

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It's a privilege.

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Sharing those moments

is priceless, I feel.

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- What are you inspired about today?

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What is driving you today with

your pursuits around here?

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You have a lot of relationships

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in the cigar industry, obviously.

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Reconnecting with friends you haven't seen

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perhaps since last year?

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- Absolutely.

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Well, I didn't make it

to the show last year

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because of a family situation at home.

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I'm taking care of my

grandmother. She's 102 now.

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So certain things had to be done.

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I couldn't make it to the show.

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But I was here last two weeks,

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two years ago.

- Two years ago.

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

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Sitting down with you

guys. And now we're back.

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So as you said, it is

all about reconnecting,

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seeing people again,

giving everybody a big hug

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and sharing a cigar.

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- Are you as passionate about food

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as you are about cigars?

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- Oh, absolutely. Yeah.

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My earliest childhood memories are

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always around the family table,

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kneading dough with my

grandfather, baking bread.

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I come from a very simple

and poor background.

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So we never had much, but

we had the family table.

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- And tell people where you're from.

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- Austria.

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I was born and raised in Vienna.

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I always say I'm a

classical Viennese mixture,

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a little bit of everything

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that the former Habsburg monarchy,

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Austro-Hungarian Empire had to offer.

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So my name is Slovenian,

but I had mixed influences

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and different parts of the family,

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but true Viennese born and raised.

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I spent most of my life there,

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apart from the time I spent in London.

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I live and work there.

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Always enjoyed London,

consider it my second home.

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And I was working in the

hospitality industry there.

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So I was a bartender at the

American Bar at the Savoy.

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I worked for a consultancy company

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and co-opened a gin craft distillery

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right in the city of London.

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So in fact, the finer things in life,

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food, good drinks,

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that's always been an

integral part of my life

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and what I enjoy the most.

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I have to say, though,

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people in the wine and spirits industry

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and in the food industry,

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they are passionate.

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But I have never experienced anything

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like the premium cigar industry

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when it comes to how people come together,

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how you connect through a humble cigar.

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The conversation that

you're having, it's unique.

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And that's utterly fascinating.

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- I wonder why that is.

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Just one idea of why that

might be the case is,

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it causes you to slow down,

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causes you to be present.

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It's very hard to enjoy a cigar

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if you're not fully engaged

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in the experience of enjoying the cigar.

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- It's not something you do rushed

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whilst you're running from A to B.

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- You don't do it passively.

- Absolutely.

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- I mean, it's not,

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I mean, you may listen to music,

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you may enjoy a meal.

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You know, we had opportunity

to eat a few meals

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together with the team.

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And the complaint among the group is,

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most of the places you eat in Las Vegas,

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you can't enjoy a cigar while eating.

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So, but in a lot of times

previously we've been here,

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we'd go to Ferraro's or

we'd sit out on the patio

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and eat this sumptuous Italian dinner.

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And while we're eating,

during the courses,

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we're enjoying, we had

cigars going during the meal.

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Is that a European thing or is that a-

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- I think it very much is.

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The only downside would be that

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in a lot of European countries,

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given the regulatory framework,

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you don't have that opportunity anymore.

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And you don't get the

privilege and pleasure

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of enjoying a good meal with a cigar.

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In certain countries, it's still possible.

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But in Austria, for example,

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you wouldn't have that opportunity

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because smoking is mostly forbidden

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indoors in public places.

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So that's a bit of a

challenge and a hurdle.

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But there's something very, very special

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about that moment when you

share a meal with somebody,

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you're breaking bread together

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and you share a cigar.

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- Well, and typically a

European, in my opinion,

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would be inclined to have a

more long course of dinner

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than an American.

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We're a lot of times obsessed

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with getting back to

whatever we were doing.

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Or there isn't the time taken and the-

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- The hustle and bustle, work,

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always being busy.

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It's true.

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I see more and more of

that internationally,

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though, as well.

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And I think in the time that we live in,

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everything is fast paced.

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Everything is digital,

everything is online.

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You're constantly available.

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And I very much love the,

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what you mentioned earlier

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and the topic that you

brought up about time.

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To me, a cigar is time

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and it is also the perfect

product for our current time,

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because more than ever, it's

so relevant to slow down,

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focus on being present in the moment

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and to just enjoy a great conversation,

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appreciate the moment for what it is.

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And that could also be

just a moment for yourself.

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When you sit down with a cigar

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and you contemplate, you think about life,

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about the day you had, the

conversations you shared

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or reading a great book.

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So whether it's time for yourself

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or time shared with somebody else,

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the cigar is kind of

always like the facilitator

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that makes the entire

experience unique, I find.

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- So in your creative journey

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and the things that you've

worked on in your career,

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you're known as a creative,

an inspirational creator.

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I mean, that's kind of the

reputation that you have,

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at least in what I've read about you

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and what I've heard about you.

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I'm just, I'm curious,

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where your work life with,

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are you engaged fully in Meerapfel

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day in, day out?

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- Being the vice president

for Meerapfel Cigar,

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that is what I focus on, what

I spend my time, my energy on,

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and where I'm delighted and humbled

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to attribute and dedicate my time

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and resources and my passion.

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I had an interesting path

in life and career thus far.

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I'm still a young gentleman

with 35 years of age,

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but I had the privilege of

exploring different industries

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and different fields of expertise.

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But as I told you before,

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it always kind of evolved

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around the inspiration

that I have from my family

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and growing up in a humble environment

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where the meal was important,

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the family table was important,

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a good conversation was important,

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and it always stayed with me.

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I then ventured into a few other things.

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I mean, I studied socioeconomics.

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I worked with handicapped pupils.

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I was a skiing instructor.

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I almost became a professional musician.

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I'm a drummer and a singer,

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but I eventually

reconnected with the things

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that inspired me most as a young child.

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And that's always been

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those simple, honest,

handcrafted products.

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Like a great piece of

bread, a wonderful wine,

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or a handmade premium cigar.

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And so at some point I understood

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that this is truly what I would love to do

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with the time that I'm given,

that I'm presented with,

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is to share experiences with other people

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that are somewhat memorable

and meaningful to them.

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And doing that through an analog product,

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something that is real and tangible,

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that you can smell and that you can taste,

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for me, is the most impactful

and direct way to do that.

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Because it hits you right away.

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It does something to you,

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especially our senses of smell and taste.

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I mean, all our sensory system,

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it's so interconnected,

everything's intertwined,

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but our senses of smell

and taste are so relevant

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in the day-to-day life and

how we perceive the world,

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how we think about life.

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Also on an emotional level,

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it has to do with how our

brain sort of takes in

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and works in all these

sensory triggers that we get.

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But it immediately links with

our memory, with our emotions.

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To give you a simple example,

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everybody has a certain scent,

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a certain memory of

your grandmother's dish

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when you open the door

coming home from school

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or after a long day of work.

- Definitely.

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- And there's that one meal

that puts you in a place

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of tranquility and peace and comfort

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where, you know, I'm home.

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- No, I'm experiencing it right now

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as you're talking about it.

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I'm just paging through

memories that I have and-

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- And isn't it fascinating

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how you can recall those memories?

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And I have a taste on my tongue.

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I have a scent in my nose

from the potato bread

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that my grandfather used to bake.

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And that always reminds

me of how important it is

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to appreciate those things

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and to be more connected with our senses,

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with our perception of the world.

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- Well, and you could have

stopped the sentence with,

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just with "to be more connected."

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I was thinking,

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I had a conversation

with one of the gentlemen

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that runs the Luxury Cigar Club,

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and we were talking about

the luxury experience

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and how there's almost

an exhibitionist approach

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to luxury consumption, at

least in American society,

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and with all the social media.

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And going back to the simplicity

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of when you talk about the bread,

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when you talk about the smell

at the door when you walk in,

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that connects you to a memory,

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that connects you to yourself.

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It's conscious living

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and the ability of luxury experiences

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to impact conscious living

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as opposed to being just

strictly looked upon

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as a hedonistic escape.

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You know, it's,

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not to be judgmental

about hedonistic escapes,

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

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- Absolutely.

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- About being present in the moment

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and it's really getting rather deep.

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But I'm rather enjoying it.

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

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Meerapfel Cigar, we

call it the UberLuxury.

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I mean, this cigar has created

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the segment of UberLuxury

in the cigar world.

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And by that we're not talking

about the price point.

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We're talking about the

hedonistic experience.

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We're talking about analog,

we're talking about time,

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and we're talking about preserving

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certain values and traditions

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that have been important in the past.

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And we probably somehow

forgot some of those things

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in these very hectic environments

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and in the world that we live in.

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And that's also,

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and coming back to what we were discussing

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about my previous work experiences.

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That's where I immediately understood

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and realized that the Meerapfel family

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has a unique legacy and history,

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with 400 years and 11 generations.

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And this project, it's a legacy project.

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It's a means to share values

and history with people

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through an actual cigar.

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And that was why I immediately connected

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with this idea and with the concept,

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besides the fact that I

share a European heritage

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and an upbringing like

the Meerapfel family.

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So there's certain things

that we have in common

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and that we clicked

initially and immediately.

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And that's why I'm blessed and grateful

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to dedicate my time and resources to this.

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- Who smokes that cigar?

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- That's a very interesting question.

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And without being judgmental

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or, you know, stressing

any preconceived notions,

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we always wanted Meerapfel Cigar to be

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affordable and available

for pretty much anybody.

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Yes, this is a luxury

cigar, an UberLuxury cigar

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with a certain price point to it.

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But everybody should have the opportunity

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to enjoy a Meerapfel cigar at least once.

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And depending on where you are,

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availability, a certain disposable income,

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that might be once a month, once a year,

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or once in a lifetime.

- Or once in a lifetime.

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- But I think this is a product for people

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who treasure those

values that we discussed.

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People who want to take the time

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to reflect on what was important,

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what has been important,

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what is and will be

important for a long time.

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And certainly people who appreciate

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the finer things in life, right?

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No question about that.

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But

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I've seen

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men and women all around the world

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lighting up one of these cigars.

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And I can tell you

every single one of them

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took a moment, looked

at the cigar, smelled.

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- It's a beautiful cigar.

- The ethereal sense,

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and had that taste sensation

lingering on the palate.

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And there's always something happening.

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I see it in the eyes.

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I see it when,

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it's kind of like that moment

where you stop for a moment

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and you realize that something

very special is happening.

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And I have that with cigars in general,

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where I feel very much

connected with all the people

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who invested so much time and energy

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into crafting and creating this.

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But even more so when you

reflect upon a family history

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and a legacy of 11 generations

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who have been so heavily

involved with trading tobaccos

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all around the world

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and shaping the industry

in one way or another,

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even though mostly behind the scenes,

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because the name Meerapfel,

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to many people who enjoy

tobacco and cigars,

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might still be rather unknown,

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though the family has been

around for such a long time.

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And so that's what's

so fascinating for me,

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when you see something click,

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something happens with the people

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where they connect with themselves,

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but also with something

that's bigger than themselves

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and has meaning.

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- Everybody has a first

experience with a cigar.

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They're varied.

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And a father sharing

something with a son, a buddy,

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you know, my recollection of cigars

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was playing garage poker

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and smoking really cheap,

store-bought, you know,

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like convenience store-bought cigars

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like a Swisher or a White Owl

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or whatever back in high school,

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late high school, early college.

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Today I take a lot of pleasure

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from giving cigars to people.

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- Oh yeah.

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- Finding someone that

maybe I met at the store

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that I visit with regularity

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and they were smoking a,

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perhaps a infused cigar.

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because that's how they got introduced.

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And then introducing them

to a Connecticut or a Maduro

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or Habana wrapper that I

like, that's approachable

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and not gonna put a

dent in their forehead,

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that they're gonna have

a decent experience with

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to take it to the next level.

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What's your experience been

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with introducing people to cigars?

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Or is that part of your focus

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as you look at your Meerapfel experience

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in terms of how to engage people?

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- I think there's different aspects

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how to best answer that question.

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One is, I love introducing

people to cigars

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when they probably haven't

had that experience before.

370

: 00:19:02

And to give them the

opportunity to explore

371

: 00:19:05

and experience the unique magic

372

: 00:19:10

of a conversation and a cigar

shared with great people.

373

: 00:19:16

I wouldn't necessarily present somebody

374

: 00:19:18

with a Meerapfel cigar

375

: 00:19:19

as their first cigar ever.

376

: 00:19:24

But that's the other aspect.

377

: 00:19:25

If you meet somebody who is

a seasoned cigar aficionado,

378

: 00:19:32

and I have the privilege

of presenting them

379

: 00:19:34

with a Meerapfel cigar,

380

: 00:19:36

that to me is a very, very special moment.

381

: 00:19:39

I mean, you saw that it makes me humble

382

: 00:19:44

and I'm very respectful in

the way I treat these cigars.

383

: 00:19:48

Because even for me,

384

: 00:19:49

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

385

: 00:19:50

- Downright reverent.

386

: 00:19:51

- But to have the opportunity

to present somebody,

387

: 00:19:55

a friend, a fellow, or even a stranger,

388

: 00:19:58

with a Meerapfel cigar,

389

: 00:20:00

to me is a magical moment.

390

: 00:20:02

So it's both the ability

391

: 00:20:05

to introduce new people

to the world of cigars

392

: 00:20:10

or to introduce people who already had,

393

: 00:20:13

who had tipped their toe into the waters

394

: 00:20:16

of premium cigars

395

: 00:20:17

and then introduce them

to a Meerapfel cigar

396

: 00:20:19

are equally special and and beautiful.

397

: 00:20:22

- Do you remember your first one?

398

: 00:20:24

- My first Meerapfel cigar?

399

: 00:20:25

- Yeah.

- Yes, absolutely.

400

: 00:20:27

As it were yesterday.

401

: 00:20:29

It was together with Jeremiah Meerapfel.

402

: 00:20:32

We were in Belgium at a beautiful castle

403

: 00:20:35

called Château de Moxhe

404

: 00:20:39

and we broke open a box

of Meerapfel cigars.

405

: 00:20:44

We visited a very good

friend of the family

406

: 00:20:47

and we at the same time

had the opportunity

407

: 00:20:50

to shoot some photo and video

content for Meerapfel Cigar.

408

: 00:20:54

And it was the first time

that I sat down with Jeremiah.

409

: 00:21:00

He presented me with a Meerapfel cigar.

410

: 00:21:02

In fact, it was a Meir Pyramid,

411

: 00:21:05

same cigar that I'm smoking right now.

412

: 00:21:09

And it was like the world stopped.

413

: 00:21:15

I didn't think about

time and place anymore.

414

: 00:21:18

And I just had that very

moment shared with Jeremiah

415

: 00:21:22

and to explore and experience

416

: 00:21:24

the cigar for the first time.

417

: 00:21:29

- It sounds like a fabulous

setting for that introduction.

418

: 00:21:32

- Absolutely.

419

: 00:21:32

I couldn't have thought

about a better place

420

: 00:21:34

with that gorgeous environment,

surrounded by lovely people

421

: 00:21:38

and then getting to share one of these.

422

: 00:21:41

- So did the friendship precede

423

: 00:21:43

the engagement with the company?

424

: 00:21:45

Was there-

- Oh, absolutely.

425

: 00:21:46

- For a long length of time?

426

: 00:21:47

- Absolutely, yes.

427

: 00:21:50

Otherwise, I couldn't be in that place

428

: 00:21:55

and I wouldn't want to,

to work on a project

429

: 00:21:58

if I don't feel like

430

: 00:22:02

it has a special meaning or I belong.

431

: 00:22:05

And, you know, I've been

self-employed for 10 years,

432

: 00:22:09

running my own company,

433

: 00:22:10

and to take the time and

the effort and the passion

434

: 00:22:16

to invest myself into a project,

435

: 00:22:21

it means a lot to me.

436

: 00:22:22

And I couldn't do it for any other,

437

: 00:22:26

you know, random project and product.

438

: 00:22:31

It took me a while to realize in life,

439

: 00:22:33

what's really important

is to love what you do

440

: 00:22:35

and to enjoy every single

day, not even going to work.

441

: 00:22:39

You know, for me, the whole

concept of work-life balance

442

: 00:22:43

doesn't exist,

443

: 00:22:43

because there's meaning in

what I get to do for a living.

444

: 00:22:48

And I consider it an

integral part of my life.

445

: 00:22:51

We all spend most of our time working,

446

: 00:22:54

so I never wanted it to feel like work.

447

: 00:22:58

So I have to love and enjoy it.

448

: 00:23:01

And besides having an

entrepreneurial spirit and mindset,

449

: 00:23:04

for me, whichever project I work on,

450

: 00:23:09

whichever product I get to work with,

451

: 00:23:12

I give it my all.

452

: 00:23:14

And I would always treat

it not only with respect,

453

: 00:23:18

but as if it were my own.

454

: 00:23:22

And that was crucial in the way

455

: 00:23:27

the relationship and the

friendship evolved with Jeremiah

456

: 00:23:31

and then afterwards with

the whole Meerapfel family

457

: 00:23:34

and with our family team,

458

: 00:23:36

where it's an integral part

459

: 00:23:39

of the way we come

together, we work together.

460

: 00:23:43

And what we then get to

share with the outside world.

461

: 00:23:45

- You look at statistics and data

462

: 00:23:47

that's produced in surveys,

463

: 00:23:50

and the vast majority of people

464

: 00:23:51

aren't in love with what they do.

465

: 00:23:54

What a gift.

466

: 00:23:56

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

467

: 00:24:00

I would love that that's the case.

468

: 00:24:03

And I hope

469

: 00:24:05

that could serve as an inspiration

to other people as well,

470

: 00:24:08

to have the courage to reconsider

471

: 00:24:17

what it is they're

passionate about in life

472

: 00:24:19

and what they get to do on a daily basis.

473

: 00:24:24

At the end of the day, what do

we want to be remembered for?

474

: 00:24:29

Or what do we want to think about

475

: 00:24:31

and remember ourselves

476

: 00:24:33

when eventually things come to an end

477

: 00:24:36

or we go onto the next

part of our journey, right?

478

: 00:24:42

I would hope that we can say,

479

: 00:24:45

with gratitude and with joy, that

480

: 00:24:52

we had the opportunity to

do something with our lives

481

: 00:24:54

that is meaningful and

that means something

482

: 00:24:57

to ourselves and to other people,

483

: 00:24:58

and that hopefully we got to share moments

484

: 00:25:02

and experience with other people

485

: 00:25:05

that are worth remembering.

486

: 00:25:08

And you know, you always say,

"Lead by example," right?

487

: 00:25:13

And I wouldn't dare say that

488

: 00:25:16

we get to influence other people

489

: 00:25:19

in what they want to do with their life

490

: 00:25:21

or where they're supposed

to end up work-wise.

491

: 00:25:24

But I hope that it can be a role model

492

: 00:25:28

where other people also think about,

493

: 00:25:33

what do we do with the

time that we are given

494

: 00:25:36

and that we're presented

with and make it memorable.

495

: 00:25:41

- I'm very relaxed all of a sudden.

496

: 00:25:42

I've gone from,

497

: 00:25:44

"Who's gonna be on the schedule today

498

: 00:25:46

and how many people are we

gonna be able to connect with?"

499

: 00:25:49

And I'm just in a sort

of a place in the day

500

: 00:25:54

where I'm just, I feel really relaxed.

501

: 00:25:56

I wanna thank you for that.

502

: 00:25:57

- I have to thank you.

- Experience in conversation.

503

: 00:25:59

I mean, it's just a lovely experience.

504

: 00:26:03

- I wouldn't dare say, like,

505

: 00:26:05

you're in a bubble, right?

506

: 00:26:06

But it feels like you

become somewhat disconnected

507

: 00:26:10

from what's happening around,

508

: 00:26:12

from all the hustle and

bustle and, you know,

509

: 00:26:15

time and place aren't

that relevant anymore

510

: 00:26:17

because you get to share and

enjoy something, an experience.

511

: 00:26:20

And that's what cigars,

what great cigars can do,

512

: 00:26:24

and what great conversation does.

513

: 00:26:26

- Talk about Light 'Em Up.

514

: 00:26:27

Talk about your interviewing world.

515

: 00:26:36

- I think it comes back to

what we were discussing before.

516

: 00:26:40

The whole idea of Light

'Em Up from day one

517

: 00:26:43

has been to build bridges,

bring people together,

518

: 00:26:47

and provide a safe space and environment

519

: 00:26:52

where people can meet and

enjoy a great conversation.

520

: 00:26:58

Ever since day one,

521

: 00:27:01

Light 'Em Up has been

about the love and respect

522

: 00:27:05

for the premium cigar industry,

523

: 00:27:08

the people therein,

524

: 00:27:09

and how we can share those stories

525

: 00:27:14

with the outside world,

526

: 00:27:16

whether it's a cigar enthusiast

527

: 00:27:18

or people who never enjoyed

and smoked a premium cigar.

528

: 00:27:21

We have people joining

from all over the world,

529

: 00:27:23

all walks of life,

530

: 00:27:24

and everything from a seasoned

cigar enthusiast aficionado,

531

: 00:27:32

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

532

: 00:27:36

to people who never

enjoyed a premium cigar,

533

: 00:27:39

but they love the conversation.

534

: 00:27:41

And not once,

535

: 00:27:44

but many times I had

people coming up to me

536

: 00:27:46

or sending an email, a text message,

537

: 00:27:49

or a DM on social media,

538

: 00:27:51

that they don't smoke cigars,

539

: 00:27:54

they've never tried one in their life,

540

: 00:27:57

but they love joining

541

: 00:27:58

because they're fascinated

by the conversations

542

: 00:28:01

and the stories of these people.

543

: 00:28:05

What inspired them, what influenced them,

544

: 00:28:07

and what ultimately

brought them to the dance

545

: 00:28:09

and to the industry.

546

: 00:28:12

And that to me is a true testament

547

: 00:28:13

of what we discussed earlier,

548

: 00:28:16

the ability of a premium

cigar to bring people together

549

: 00:28:20

and to give us an

opportunity to share a moment

550

: 00:28:21

and share certain stories.

551

: 00:28:24

And so that has always been the nucleus

552

: 00:28:27

and the core of Light 'Em Up

553

: 00:28:29

And still to this day it is.

554

: 00:28:30

And on a weekly basis, every Wednesday,

555

: 00:28:33

we get to open our virtual lounge via Zoom

556

: 00:28:36

to the people who come and join us.

557

: 00:28:40

We have normally a guest, a star guest,

558

: 00:28:43

an icon from the cigar industry

to lead the conversation

559

: 00:28:48

and to share the interview with me.

560

: 00:28:51

And then we have people joining

from all around the world

561

: 00:28:55

directly via Zoom at the lounge

562

: 00:28:57

or through the live

stream that we put online

563

: 00:29:00

and become immersed in that experience

564

: 00:29:02

and become part of it.

565

: 00:29:03

So it's not like a static format

566

: 00:29:06

where you just sit and watch

or you listen to a podcast,

567

: 00:29:08

but you can truly become

part of the experience.

568

: 00:29:11

And that to me is very important.

569

: 00:29:13

It's a different way of

engaging with the conversation

570

: 00:29:18

and not to just passively listen,

571

: 00:29:21

but to truly be a part of it.

572

: 00:29:24

- I've enjoyed the occasion

to interview people

573

: 00:29:30

and have conversations that

we've captured on video

574

: 00:29:35

for our podcasts

575

: 00:29:36

and different events that

we've participated in.

576

: 00:29:41

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

577

: 00:29:45

it's a very parallel reflection

578

: 00:29:47

of what Boveda is about as a company.

579

: 00:29:49

We're an asterisk on this entire industry.

580

: 00:29:57

We're not the star of the show.

581

: 00:29:58

We're a supporting actor.

582

: 00:30:02

We're committed to helping our customers

583

: 00:30:07

enjoy their passions,

584

: 00:30:09

maximize their passions.

585

: 00:30:12

And there's something,

586

: 00:30:14

it's just a privilege to get with people

587

: 00:30:19

and give them space to tell their story

588

: 00:30:22

or share the notion that

they're fascinated with

589

: 00:30:25

in the moment.

590

: 00:30:28

It's a real reflection

591

: 00:30:29

of what this endeavor has been for me.

592

: 00:30:33

That's what I do,

593

: 00:30:34

I introduce people to, basically,

594

: 00:30:37

to freshness and to maintaining quality

595

: 00:30:42

of things that we love.

596

: 00:30:43

- It's a beautiful analogy

that you brought up

597

: 00:30:46

and I never thought of it that way

598

: 00:30:49

in regards to Boveda,

599

: 00:30:52

but it is entirely what I have experienced

600

: 00:30:57

through Light 'Em Up

601

: 00:30:58

and through my journalistic

work in general.

602

: 00:31:01

It takes,

603

: 00:31:06

I don't know if humility

is the right word,

604

: 00:31:09

but the realization

that it's not about you,

605

: 00:31:15

it's about providing an

opportunity and a platform

606

: 00:31:20

for other people to share their story,

607

: 00:31:22

to express themselves,

608

: 00:31:24

and for the viewer, the

listener, the participants

609

: 00:31:28

to engage and become part of that story.

610

: 00:31:32

You have to take a step back.

611

: 00:31:33

- It's interest, it's,

612

: 00:31:36

people have interest in something

613

: 00:31:38

for a variety of motivations.

614

: 00:31:41

So I can be interested

615

: 00:31:42

because of something you're gonna give me.

616

: 00:31:45

I'm going to get paid

617

: 00:31:46

because I sold you something, you know,

618

: 00:31:48

or you can be interested

619

: 00:31:50

for the sake of being interested,

620

: 00:31:54

to genuinely-

- And funnily enough,

621

: 00:31:56

I think everything else then

is a natural progression

622

: 00:32:00

or is a natural result of that.

623

: 00:32:03

I never believed in sales

624

: 00:32:06

or being salesy for the sake of,

625

: 00:32:08

"I'm trying to talk you into,

626

: 00:32:10

this is the best thing

ever since sliced bread."

627

: 00:32:15

If we genuinely get

together, share a story

628

: 00:32:20

and share the interest

with the other person

629

: 00:32:22

so that I get to know you and

learn what you are all about,

630

: 00:32:28

what the company or the product

631

: 00:32:31

that you work for and with is all about,

632

: 00:32:33

everything else will follow.

633

: 00:32:37

And so I think you hit

the nail on the head

634

: 00:32:42

and you phrased it perfectly.

635

: 00:32:45

It's the genuine interest

for the other person.

636

: 00:32:48

And then we come together and suddenly,

637

: 00:32:54

one plus one equals-

638

: 00:32:56

- Way more than two.

- Absolutely.

639

: 00:32:58

There's a cigar for every

moment and every occasion.

640

: 00:33:02

And that could be

different things, you know?

641

: 00:33:05

Similar to aromas and flavors

642

: 00:33:09

being different for everybody

643

: 00:33:11

based on your sensory experiences

644

: 00:33:13

and the database of aromaticity and tastes

645

: 00:33:18

that you have built for yourself,

646

: 00:33:19

the references that you

have for certain triggers

647

: 00:33:23

that hit your sensory system, right?

648

: 00:33:26

So I don't necessarily

like to talk all too much

649

: 00:33:31

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

650

: 00:33:35

because it might be

different for everybody.

651

: 00:33:37

- Yeah. Go experience it yourself.

652

: 00:33:38

- And who am I to tell you that,

653

: 00:33:40

you know, this has a note of

frankincense in it, right?

654

: 00:33:43

It might be different for you,

655

: 00:33:45

but we can talk about it.

656

: 00:33:49

And there again, the cigar

becomes a door opener

657

: 00:33:52

to a great conversation

658

: 00:33:54

and a whole journey beyond that.

659

: 00:33:57

- Reinhardt, I wanna thank

you for the conversation.

660

: 00:33:59

(gentle music)

- Thank you very much.

661

: 00:34:00

It's been an absolute pleasure for me.

662

: 00:34:02

- It was a treat. I hope

we get to do it again.

663

: 00:34:03

- I look forward to that.

Thank you very much.

664

: 00:34:05

- Yeah.

665

: 00:34:06

(gentle music fades out)