Episode 145
The Cigar Alliance Explained: Quesada + Joya de Nicaragua | Box Press Ep. 145
Two pillars of the premium cigar industry. One conversation you don’t want to miss. #LoveYourCigars
In this episode, we sit down with Joya de Nicaragua and Quesada Cigars to talk about legacy, collaboration, and what happens when Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic come together in the world of premium cigars.
Episode features: Joya de Nicaragua's Juan Martinez and Quesada Cigars' Raquel Quesada. Interview by Boveda’s Box Press Hosts Nate Beck and JP Awad.
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Transcript
Welcome to another episode of Box Press. I'm
your host Nate Beck and I am your other host JP
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:Awad. What's up everybody? Thanks for joining
us. We have on today Raquel Quesada and Juan
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:Martinez. Raquel Quesada is with Quesada
Cigars and Juan is with Joya de Nicaragua.
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:And we are super excited to be able to have a
great conversation and get to know more about
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:both of their brands today on Box Press.
Introducing the all new Boveda Humidor,
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:delivering 6 months of consistent, optimal
humidity for your collection. No guesswork,
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:no maintenance, just perfect
storage. Learn more at bovedainc.com.
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:So JP, what are you going to be lighting up today?
I am smoking the Joya de Nicaragua Cinco de Cinco,
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:which I am super excited about. I've had one in
the past. Incredible cigar, like incredible cigar.
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:And then I'm going to be representing the
Casa Magna Robusto which I believe Raquel
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:you are smoking right now. Yes. Juan, what are you
smoking? I'm smoking a Cuatro Cinco Secret Cask
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:that we launched last year. A very special blend.
And I need to get my hands on one of those. They
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:look awesome. Okay, so first things first,
we always we always love to just talk about
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:the brand is the brand speaks for itself. One of
the coolest things about both of these brands is
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:there's a lot of history behind these brands.
And your histories are intertwined, right?
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:And so obviously Joya is the oldest is the oldest
tabacalera in all of Nicaragua, right? Based in
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:Estelí. Yes. Yes. And yes. And I believe it's
fifth generation for Quesada, right? Totally. God,
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:that is awesome. Wow. Fifth generation of the
Quesada family. That is so cool. So obviously
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:both of your families have a lot of history, a
lot of legacy. They're icons, right? Your parents
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:are icons in this industry. So the first thing I
always like to talk about is like what was it like
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:growing up in this industry? Like seeing all of
it, right? Obviously when you're a child, right?
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:You might have core memories that come to mind,
you know, that you're like, "Holy [ __ ] like this
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:was like you think now, right? Thinking back on it
now, you're like, "Oh my God, I remember like this
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:was transformative for like these are the things
that like kind of stick in your mind your entire
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:life, you know, as you move forward, you know,
essentially blazing your own path and creating,
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:you know, a legacy for yourselves as well. So,
like what are what are some things over the
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:years that have really stuck out to the both
of you growing up with such awesome parents?
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:Yeah, awesome parents and also grandparents.
Yeah. Well, for me, this has been my whole life.
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:As I said, I have it in my veins. It's something
that if I wasn't I mean happy with it, I wouldn't
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:have been doing it because if you come to this
industry and you don't love it, you can't be in
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:it. Yeah. But a lot I have a lot of stories, but
for example, my grandfather used to smoke in the
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:car with the windows up. Oh, man. And for me, that
was something that marked my youth. I imagine.
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:like seven or eight years old and your grandfather
likes smoking with the windows up and then you
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:and then like one time I decided that I wanted to
comment some on that and then that was the rest is
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:history. It's like you do not say anything about
cigar you do not say anything about the smoke
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:that's something that is like in your life in your
in your legacy in your history and you cannot say
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:anything about it rather than something good.
Yeah. So after that it was something that I had
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:to you know I was over it and just actually at the
end it was like even great. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And
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:also running around the bales in the warehouses
was something that comes to my memory all the
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:time and we talk about it as as with me and my
sister Patricia were always reminding us that it
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:was something that we used to run out and some of
the cigar makers that are as of now in the factory
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:used started working when the factory opened in
'74. before. Yeah. So, imagine that they would
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:they would see us running around and and they
would always always comment to to up to now saying
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:that, "Oh my God, I remember you both like blonde
girls running around our tables and now you're
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:the ones that are running the show." Yeah. So,
that's something that for me it's like an entirely
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:different kind of running. Exactly. Yeah. That's
awesome. That is so cool, boy. Hearing you talk
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:about running around the bales of tobacco brings
back fond memories for me. I have five now grown
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:adult daughters and for a lot of years I sold
shoes and when they would come to visit me they
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:got great enjoyment out of running into the back
room and hiding under the shelves of shoes. So
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:my my story is is a bit different. You know, I I
didn't grow running around tobacco bales or under
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:the shade of a tobacco plant like Raquel and a lot
of my colleagues did. Actually, my my family, my
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:father got involved in the business in the early
:
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:brand already existed way before before us. It was
established in:
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:that my family got involved. And for the first
stretch of my life, I didn't plan to come into the
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:cigar business or the tobacco business. In fact,
when I came out of university, I was planning
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:to do my own thing, you know, as a as a good
Nicaraguan revolutionary at heart that had studied
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:under the Jesuits. My goal was to do my own thing,
to change the world in my own way. Mhm. And my
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:father was doing his thing and I admired that. I
saw him working very hard trying to sell cigars in
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:a very competitive world you know traveling and
doing nights long long travels selling cigars.
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:And I thought you know this is this is his thing.
I'll do my own thing until a point where I started
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:seeing and appreciating the impact that his work
was having.Going to the factory and seeing more
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:than 400 people that work with him. Knowing that
at that time the cigars that they were making
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:were being enjoyed in more than 50 countries
around the world. You know it was it was it
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:was impactful. It was impactful to be honest.
And it was at that point that I say, you know,
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:maybe maybe I could do more by joining this team
instead of trying to do my own thing. Definitely
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:I would have much more fun than working at at a
bank or at a consulting firm which was something
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:that I was doing before. And I decided to join him
and I gave him five years. I told him I'll I'll
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:I'll be part of this for 5 years and here I am 17
years later dedicating you know my my whole life
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:to this beautiful to this beautiful trade into
this beautiful industry allowing ourselves to
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:tell our story throughout the world. It's it's
a privilege. It's a privilege. Now I have to say
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:that at some point I do remember Raquel Quesada
Patricia Quesada Vega as being part of our lives
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:because in the early 2000s the distributed Joya
de Nicaragua in the US. So my father has had
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:a very close relationship with Manolo and they
work closely together. Yep. And I remember them
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:traveling going to the at that time RTDA trade
show and talking about the Quesada sisters,
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:the Quesada girls and I would always I was a bit
younger at that time. So I would always look at
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:them, you know, all this these girls working with
the family. I always admire that persistence and
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:that commitment that the family had. But it
ultimately that brings us to the reason why
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:we decided to work together, right? That family
values. Yeah. Commitment. The core values that
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:drive this business. This industry, this trade are
also shared between us. We have from Nicaragua,
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:we have a tremendous admiration and respect for
what the Quesada family have done in the in the
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:Dominican Republic. They are humbler because
to be honest as as as Joya de Nicaragua was an
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:igniting point for the Nicaragua cigar industry,
Quesada was an igniting point for the Dominican
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:cigar industry. And they played such a relevant
role in building what the Dominican industry is
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:today that it's nothing other than respectful and
honored to be joining hands with them and with the
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:Quesada family. That's awesome. Can you two talk
a little bit more about this because this is this
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:is in January of this year. So this is very new
that essentially this this is a collaboration,
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:right? It's not a merger. It's nothing like that.
It's just a collaboration between the two of you.
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:Ultimately, it's kind of a a a an intertwining
of like marketing and sales together, right? Yes.
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:Well, actually, so as as Juan said, go ahead. So
I was just going to say something quick. As one
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:said, this is the first time that we are together
talking about our journey together back again
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:now in 2026. Raquel and I traveled a lot both in
the US and internationally and we would see each
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:other quite often. We developed, we reignited a
family relationship through our work. You know,
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:doing events, traveling, going to trade shows,
and we would go out to dinner, we would sit down,
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:have drinks, have cigars, and we always be sharing
our lives histories, successes, and mishaps,
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:and we develop a friendship. So actually this
is a partnership that results from a personal
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:relationship that has been growing for many,
many years and that it has transformed now into
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:an opportunity of doing things together in the
business area in the business space. So this is
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:a partnership in which we try we're trying to
give each brand, each history, each heritage,
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:each family the deserving space that they require
in the United States. And we're working together
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:because at the end we're very similar. We're
family-run businesses family-oriented businesses
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:with very strong family values with similar
challenges in a such a large market as the
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:United States. And it was only easy to say, you
know, we should join forces and do things better
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:together. At the end of the day, the the sum
of both brands and the sum of both families is
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:more than each one by itself individually.
Yeah, that's awesome. I love that. Yeah,
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:it's a great message. And having each each brand
with its own characteristics and its own beauty of
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:each other. I think it was a great a great merge.
That's awesome. And a great opportunity for both.
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:Yeah. Can you two touch a little bit more on like
kind of how this unified, this unified model that
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:you're now sharing together, right? How what that
means for distribution in the United States and
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:outside of the United States? And, and I think
how does you know how does that relationship
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:and that partnership directly impact your end
consumer and how they're going to now be able
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:to find your cigars more readily, you know how is
that all going to play out the first phase of our
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:of our partnership began in Spain. So a couple
of years ago Joya de Nicaragua started its own
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:distribution platform in Spain and we were looking
for partners also to add to the portfolio and the
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:the most obvious one was Quesada. So we started
a while ago already working together in Spain,
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:specifically in the in the Spanish market and
that's been going really well and in the US we
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:decided to do something more collaborative more in
terms of a partnership as I said before in which
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:we both develop and have an equal say in how
the brands are promoted managed and brought
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:to the end consumer through the different you
know retail shops as national accounts and so
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:on. I would I would like to mention though this
is not like previous collaborations that you've
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:had in the past. This is not a merger. Yep. Yep.
This is not a you know a collaboration in terms
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:of product in which you know two manufacturers
come together and develop a product and then one
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:of them sells them. This is not like this. This is
not to be honest something that we've seen in the
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:past. Although there are a couple of companies
that have a long-lasting partnership together
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:and in which each one of the brands has their
voices, their space respected and appreciated
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:and the mission of the team that is now in charge
of the US is to uphold and cherish each of the
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:brands from what they are. One from Nicaragua
and one from the DR. Both legacy brands. Both
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:legacy families that have contributed so much
in building but that are in the space in which
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:we are not the largest but we're not boutiques
either. So we are in this weird middle space where
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:you have to fight a lot. And so we just simply
came together to develop complementary efforts
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:in terms of sales, having people on the street,
having our voice representing our our our values.
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:Developing stronger relationship with the the
largest and most important accounts in the
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:country and most importantly developing programs
that allow us to connect better with our consumers
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:through engagement through communities that we
are building. You know, we have different type
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:of consumers. The smoker of Joya de Nicaragua
is not necessarily the same smoker as Casa Magna
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:and Quesada and we don't necessarily compete with
each other but complemented strongly totally with
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:a solid offering of Nicaraguan original Nicaraguan
cigars and original legitimate Dominican profiles
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:together. So we're taking advantage of this
opportunity on making it work and what it
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:basically means for the retailer and for the trade
is that we now have one coherent alliance. You
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:will get they will get the opportunity to buy both
brands from the same supplier. Y for the consumer
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:is that they will see us together in some events.
We will have individual events in which the brands
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:promote themselves individually. But we also have
joint events, joint partnerships where you'll have
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:access to the story of both brands together
and how this have contributed of making this
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:industry such an exciting dynamic and beautiful
experience as it is today. That's awesome.
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:That's fantastic. Yeah, it's really really cool.
Yeah, we're obviously very excited for you both.
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:It sounds like you're both very passionate about
this this collaboration with one another. We could
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:speak more highly about your two brands
and and your families in the legacy that
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:you all have and that you're still continuing
to build. You know, this is actually a pretty
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:good segue into the next thing. How obviously,
you're you're both very international brands,
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:right? You're in dozens of countries. What
has what has humidity meant to you? Namely,
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:Boveda. Obviously, you both are packaging with
Boveda, which we obviously appreciate very much.
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:It means the world to us that you trust us. But
what has it meant for you? Like at at what point
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:did did your families realize, okay, a Boveda pack
needs to go into these boxes as they ship out?
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:In my in my part, I think
this comes from my father.
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:From the very beginnings that you started
innovating with the system, I think he was
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:very passionate about it and very willing
to collaborate with you both companies
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:because he understood at that time and we
understand now because we continue using it that
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:it's very important quality and the consistency
of the cigars in order for the consumer to get it
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:in intact in an in an amazing way. Yeah. So I
think for us has been an amazing collaboration and
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:we have evolution I don't know evolution
on not even in the boxes but in packs also
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:and in different ways to make the cigars get
to the consumer in a in an in a quality and
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:consistency way. Yeah. Yeah. Absolutely. That's
awesome. Yeah. And if if I'm if my numbers are
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:correct, I believe Quesada has been packaging
with Boveda for over 10 years now, right? It's
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:been over a decade. I'm saying it goes way back.
Way back. It really does. It really does. Yep.
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:In our case is is a little bit additional to that.
I always respected your product and your business
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:because you guys come to solve a concrete problem
that we have as manufacturers. The reality is that
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:once we ship our cigars from our factories,
you know, they're frozen, they're ready,
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:they are shipped into a distributor or an importer
in, you know, 80 countries around the world. They
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:go through shipping either by air or by sea and
they go to a a warehouse that is no longer ours.
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:And from that warehouse, we trust that it's doing
the best to maintain the quality of the product.
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:But then from that warehouse to the retailer also
you have shipping and then the retail you trust
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:that they have the best conditions to showcase
the product. And then you have the last leg which
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:is from the retailer to the shop from the shop to
the consumer. We lost control of our product from
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:the moment we ship that. Right. So, correct. Yeah.
But at the end of the day, if someone complains,
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:oh, this cigar is too dry or too moist, whose
responsibility is it? They don't care about the
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:importer, right? They don't care about UPS or the
shipping. It's our problem. It's our issue, right?
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:So you guys came to fixability that is legitimate
to our to our industry on how to at least mitigate
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:the risk of over or under humidification
of our products which is so essential and
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:historically we've never had it. So you come you
guys come to solve a functional problem. I think
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:it's that's the beauty of your business and I I
admire and respect for you for that because you
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:come to compliment us in a way, plus giving us the
opportunity to say to the consumer we are doing we
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:have a commitment to the quality of this product
because we have this seal on it. We are investing
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:to make sure that whatever happens in the way
to your hands this product is kept in the best
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:possible conditions using this instrument
that we call the Boveda pack. Right. Yeah,
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:so it gives us trust, it gives us legitimate
legitimacy for the consumer and for the trade,
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:too. So I think even if we don't have any issues
let's say even if all of our partners do their
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:work well and control for humidity at least
we have that final step of giving credit to
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:the effort that we're giving to ensure to
our consumers that the product that they
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:receive is at the highest standard possible. Well,
speaking to that, Nate and I are both smoking our
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:cigars and it is an absolutely perfect burn on
these. We took them right out of the boxes. So,
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:smoking beautifully. They are smoking beautifully.
So, bravo, Boveda, you did it. Yeah. And I think
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:it's really, it it speaks to the collaborative
element of your relationship between your
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:two families in the way that both. Yeah. Both
companies include Boveda and we're able to help
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:you in that collaboration by providing a product
that protects your cigars to the end consumer.
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:And one of the things that I've enjoyed over the
last oh it's been the last three or four weeks,
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:my good friend Jerry, who you have now on
board on your sales team has been spreading
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:my information to all of your reps and to your
national sales director. And so I have been
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:as quickly as possible making sure that all of
the cigars that your sales team have with them
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:and on their person and in their vehicles is now
properly protected by Boveda. So we got everybody
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:covered. So it's it's been fun. Cuz, Jerry's one
of my favorite people and now I get to see him
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:at the trade shows along with you guys. So it's
been really fun to see that that grow. Let me,
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:let me tell you an anecdote, a personal anecdote
with you guys. One of the first things that I did
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:when I was a young kid, actually quite small,
for my father, I was responsible of taking care
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:of his humidors at home. And the main function
was to refill the humidification in his humidors,
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:right? You remember the the bricks that we used
to have with a sponge that you needed to fill with
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:the distilled water? That was my That was my role.
That was my role. And, I remember struggling with
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:that and eventually coming into the business and
having a bunch of this bricks laying around and,
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:you know, filling them in with the distilled
water. It was a pain to do this. Yeah. And when
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:you guys came, I know it was called differently
before it was called Boveda. It was like, wow,
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:this is innovation. This solves a problem for
the consumer. And that's where I started. I, we,
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:I started using you guys before using it in our
products at a personal level and giving it away
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:to my friends and family who smoke. Hey, how
do I take care of the humidity? You know, hey,
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:you put a sponge in there. No, no longer that. You
just get one of these packs, and I would hand them
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:over the Boveda packs, and that that would be
it, man. So, it's it's a functional thing and I
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:admire you guys again for that. And then you came
to solve a very concrete problem for our business,
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:which was that we were expanding in duty-free
shops around the world travel retail but most
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:of these shops don't necessarily have humidified
displays. Right. So we were forced, in a way,
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:to add our first step was add Boveda packs to
every single box to be sold at duty-free travel
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:retail spaces and from there on we just added them
to the Obras Maestras. You know we had one or two
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:complaints of oh the cigars are too dry in this
shop in somewhere in Asia Pacific. So we said,
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:okay, let's solve that problem using Boveda
packs. Yeah. So there you go. And would you
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:say Juan that's where it started for you? Like
is that where is that where packaging with Boveda
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:started? It we started exclusively for the spaces
where we decided where we knew that we could not
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:control the humidity. It wasn't a traditional
tobacconist or specialty shop. It was those places
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:where we knew that the product could be affected
by humidity changes. We actually, our pilot was
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:down here in Nicaragua at our duty-free shop and
from there on we expanded to almost every single
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:duty-free item and duty-free shop that we had.
That's fantastic. That's awesome. And would and
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:would you say that since that time any any issues
with dryness of cigars that all of that dissipated
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:and essentially vanish? Vanish. Absolutely.
Yes. That is awesome, man. Fantastic. That's
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:really cool to hear. Nate and I always like to
ask everybody that we have on as a guest to tell
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:us some funny stories. They could be trade show
stories. They could be at the factory. It could
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:be anywhere. It could be at a shop. Tell us like
a story that you tend to tell people as being like
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:one of your more comical or funny stories that
you like to bring up to people that's happened,
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:you know, whatever happened 20 years ago, last
year at, you know, a TPE or PCA or something.
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:But we always want to hear funny stories, cuz we
want people to be able to share with us. Well,
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:I have one. I don't know how funny it is to be
honest, but it's it's it's it's clever and it's
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:interesting and it talks a little bit about
our trade and our craft. So, when I started,
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:one of the first things that I started doing for
my family, for my for the company was looking
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:over our processes, production operations-wise.
And one of the things that I noticed was that
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:we always had quality issues on certain days of
the week. Productivity and quality issues. So,
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:I went, you know, double click on that and
like, so what's happening? I'm an economist,
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:so I I look at numbers a lot. Yeah. And, obviously
numbers don't tell you anything without a life
242
:behind those numbers, right? So, we would I would
see that Mondays and Fridays quality would issues
243
:would spike. And I went back to Leonel who was
our factory manager at that time and it's like
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:yeah well you won't believe this but you know
Mondays people are just hung over and Fridays
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:people are just waiting to go. To get it over.
Yeah, this is a handcraft product, so what do you
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:expect people just want to go home on Fridays and
have their drinks or whatever go party and that's
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:reflected on the quality of our cigar. Oh my God.
I was like, Wow, too much Flor de Caña , huh? So
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:it's it's it's sort of funny. Not not too funny,
but it tells you a lot about the relevance of the
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:human aspect to this. Absolutely. Of course. The
humanity of each person happens here. So I have a
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:I have a funny one that's happened. We hired back
in:
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:him, José Blanco. We hired him as our master
blender for a while for a couple of years and
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:he came down with a lot of ideas and he would do
all of these crazy testing tasting panels with our
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:team and he would makes us smoke like 20 cigars in
one sitting, right? And we would go dizzy and try
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:to experiment with different blends so on. And
he did a lot of teaching for us down here with
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:a different perspective that he came and we were
in one of those panels smoking for a new release
256
:that we were going to do and it's like ah he's
always complaining he was always complaining oh my
257
:first third it's always too spicy first third is
always too spicy first third of the another cigar
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:too spicy and the youngest guy of the group just
comes up and you know looks at him and he says,
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:"Okay, so let's just cut 1/3 of the cigar
and that will solve the problem and we'll
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:chop 1/3 of every single cigar and we'll solve the
problem." It's like, "Oh, makes sense." You know,
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:and everybody's like, "Wow, it's so obvious,
you know, if it's the first third, let's fix
262
:that." Yeah. Did he ever say why he thought the
first third was spicy? Like, what was it on his
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:palate that made it feel like it was spicy? I I
think it had to do more with his experience coming
264
:from the DR that, you know, Nicaraguan cigars tend
to always start a little bit bolder, spicier. So,
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:it was more of his palate getting used to the
the the Nicaraguan profile, but it it actually
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:solved the issue, you know. Yeah, totally. That's
great. Oh my God, I love that. So, Raquel, okay,
267
:we're talk we're talking funny, funny stories,
funny anecdotes that could have happened in the
268
:factory. They could have happened when you were
like hanging out with friends at a lounge. We
269
:just want, we always want to hear funny stories
that like stick out to you. Yeah. Oh. Well,
270
:funny stories. From the top of my head, I only
have stories with my father that are not funny.
271
:That. That was funny. Yeah.
272
:Oh my God. He was very tough, very tough with us,
you know, especially the girls as he calls us.
273
:So I don't know. I really have my my story since
forever with my father, which is not funny at all,
274
:was that he was he was the only one that he
could do the blends, right? So he would write in
275
:a little piece of paper that that time we were it
was like the:
276
:not the one that we are now. We were at factory
that we were there for 38 years after we moved to
277
:this one that we've been here for 14 years or
15 years. So, we were, so he was the one that
278
:did all the blends and there was like, like,
I don't know how you call like, altoparlante,
279
:altavoz del fono, and the whole factory. So, he
would call like a speaker phone. So, he would call
280
:everyone on that speaker phone and that was like
really loud and you thought he was like really mad
281
:and the world was ending. So, so one day he he's
he gives me this blend and it's a little piece
282
:of paper with his handwriting and I go to the
floor and I changed the I tweaked it a little
283
:bit. I didn't change the whole I just tweaked
it a little bit. So I come back and I put it on
284
:his desk and I leave. So like 10 minutes later
or 15 minutes later he's like, Raquel Quesada,
285
:231, which was the extension of his office. And
I'm like, oh my God, I'm dead. I'm not going to
286
:survive. Not one more hour. This is the end of
my days in the cigar industry. So he's like,
287
:"What did you do to my blend?" And I'm like,
"Well, I tweaked it a little bit." He's like,
288
:"Well, this is the best one. So we're going to
take your blend." So it was the at that time it
289
:was a Cubana Limitado Fonseca. So the boxes came
out saying made by Raquel and Manuel Quesada. Oh,
290
:that's awesome. That's great. So, at the end,
I almost died that day or didn't survive. Well,
291
:because we all know we all know when your
parent like shouts at you or you think they're
292
:shouting at you and they're angry, you just think
they're angry. Oh, no. I don't know if you know,
293
:but my dad went to Vietnam. So, in my house, it
was like if we were at at the at the center of
294
:the situation. So like the lights had to go out
at one time, the doors had to be kept closed,
295
:you know, there was like a whole itinerary of
things that we had to keep on going. So it was
296
:really tough. He says he doesn't remember any
of this. Of course not. Yeah, of course not.
297
:Of course you remember. They conveniently never
remember. Yes, exactly. I'm Raquel. I'm a little,
298
:I'm a little worried on the things that I'm going
to conveniently not remember with all five of my
299
:girls. I'm a a little nervous. Oh my God, you
have five girls. I I'm really sorry for you. He
300
:had two girls and he thought he was in trouble.
Yeah. No, we have and a set of twins. So yeah. Oh
301
:my God. Yeah. Juan has two, so he knows. I only
have boys. I have a boy. So I have a boy. Well,
302
:it's very interesting when you like work can often
be even with a lot of people around can be very
303
:quiet, but when I'd go home for dinner, it would
be literally six people. It's like conversation
304
:turns into combat. Just trying to get a point
across or something, you know, just iterated.
305
:And so I'd just half the time just sit there and
eat my dinner and just listen. And it was very
306
:interesting when my girls were small. I mean,
it was it was fun and it was a little crazy
307
:all at the same time. And I remember when my girls
were, you know, in their kind of early teen years,
308
:I remember like the Jonas Brothers and Hannah
Montana were very popular. And so they would ask
309
:us to put that music on while we had dinner and it
was absolute chaos. And so my wife and I would go,
310
:absolutely not dancing around. They were insane.
And so we would then put on Frank Sinatra,
311
:Dean Martin, you know, the Rat Pack, and
everybody would mellow out. And so we had to
312
:put a moratorium on any of their current music cuz
they would turn into complete psychopaths. Yeah.
313
:You've got to put something on that they don't
really enjoy. They'll be quiet. Let Let me Let me
314
:tell you that at least you're not on the Bad Bunny
era, man. In the Bad Bunny era. Taylor Swift. Oh,
315
:we got Taylor Swift. We did get that one. Yeah,
Taylor. We still have Taylor. Well, I have get
316
:Bad Bunny with boys. Raquel, one of my twins, is
on the autism spectrum and she is a real character
317
:and can be quite spicy. But when she takes a
shower, she likes to turn music on her phone
318
:and play it in the bathroom. And we went through
probably a 2-year stretch where it was non-stop
319
:Taylor Swift. And she's singing at the top of her
lungs in the shower to Taylor Swift. Yeah. So,
320
:it's it's been Juan can relate. Yeah, Juan can
relate. Yeah, you're there. Every day in my house,
321
:man. Every day. I mean, and now we have the, you
know, the Taylor and Travis wedding that's coming
322
:up. That's going to be just all the rage in our
conversations. Oh, yes. Yes. Yes. Yep. Okay. So,
323
:we could go for hours. Yeah. Right. All right. So,
on the topic of family, right, a multigenerational
324
:brands, right? What what would you two say were
like like non-negotiables? What were things that
325
:were essentially you know taught to you two about
the business that you two still kind of carry
326
:through the business that you now run and what
are things that ultimately like what's your brand
327
:evolution going to look like for this generation
into the next generation and do you hope that you
328
:know your children you know, nieces, nephews or
whomever take over after you've retired? Yeah.
329
:Well, well, for me, my father was always about
quality and consistency. That was something that
330
:was not negotiable. If we're going to put our
brand, our last name in our brand, we really have
331
:to make sure that the quality and consistency is
on the right. If there's a cigar that is not meant
332
:to be taken out of the factory for many reasons,
then it's not negotiable. We don't we don't do
333
:that. We take care as I said for the quality and
consistency that we work that he he worked for
334
:for so long and that he was truly committed to and
that was something that he always passed on to us.
335
:Our cigars are weighted on the tables of the cigar
makers, are gone through the draw master. They're
336
:weighted when the production is being entered into
the computer. I mean there's so many different
337
:quality and consistency levels that we implemented
because he was the one that always taught us that.
338
:So that is something that and as he has retired as
we all know he lives in Spain now because of his
339
:health issues. He still is on a day-to-day basis
with us. He's our mentor. We're always gonna be
340
:grateful for that and to have him still here is
also that we're grateful for because we almost
341
:missed him two years ago and he's still with us
today. Juan was we had a meeting and he was there
342
:with Juan's father also all participating in the
meeting. So that's that's something that for us
343
:it's like we're really, really grateful for that
to have them both either I mean Juan's father and
344
:mine, too participating in the day-to-day
things that we are doing as for me as the
345
:fifth generation and Juan as Mr. Martinez's son
is something that it's it's amazing for me. I
346
:have a sixth generation that is very interested
in being a part of this. Yeah. He's 18 years
347
:old. He's a very important amateur golfer here in
Dominican Republic. Oh, cool. That's awesome. Yes,
348
:I know. He's like on the world amateur ranking.
He's on the 400s out of 6,000 people. Wow. Wow.
349
:That's incredible. That's incredible. Congrats to
him. Congratulations. Yes. That's something that
350
:I've worked also very hard for. Yeah, of course.
Yes. But he's very interested and he started
351
:smoking cigars once he turned 18. He he's going to
be coming to the PCA maybe this year or maybe next
352
:year has participated in Pro Cigar. Oh, we'd love
to meet him. And let me tell you something, he's
353
:he's always on the tours with golf with a backpack
full of Quesada cigars. Is he really? God, that's
354
:awesome. Yeah. Good for him. Yes. You couldn't
ask for a better ambassador, right? Yeah. He he
355
:can become the next Miguel Ángel Jiménez. Yes. Oh,
yes. Yes. Smoking on the course. Smoking on the
356
:course. Yeah. He's always smoking on the course.
I love it. So are we. Nate and I golf regularly.
357
:We're always smoking on the course. Yes. I mean
that's the best ambassador that we could have cuz
358
:Rodrigo is traveling from Europe, to the islands,
to the United States. He has, as 18 years old,
359
:he has traveled to a lot of countries and he has
good been with the Quesada brand. Spreading the
360
:word. It is one of my goals, Raquel, to at least
have one of my five girls enjoy cigars with me.
361
:And I I have high hopes for one hopes high
hopes for one of my twins. She, for years,
362
:when I would smoke on walks we would take or if
we'd go to like a you know an antique car show or
363
:things like that, I'd always have a cigar and she
would walk behind me and then try to guess like if
364
:it's a cigar that I'd had already or like what she
was smelling or if it smelled good or and she told
365
:me probably about 6 months ago, we were sitting
around a fire in our driveway and she said, "Dad,
366
:I for sure want to try a cigar with you." And I'm
like, "You just you tell me when." You made my
367
:day. You made my day. All I need is one because
like I love sitting outside and my wife doesn't
368
:smoke but she'll sit with me and the smoke doesn't
bother her. So I at least have company but to have
369
:someone in my family I could enjoy cigars with
because. Well, let me tell you something. Out of
370
:five, I think you have a high percentage. I hope
so. I hope so. And we have time. And it's it's one
371
:of my favorite things about the cigar industry
is how how many brands and how many companies
372
:have family lineage in the in the industry. It's
a really special thing and I was fortunate my kids
373
:got to work with me for a business that I ran for
a lot of years and it's it was my favorite thing
374
:being able to have family there with me. Yeah,
it's it's a beautiful thing. So, Juan, how about
375
:for you? Well, my kids are still young, so we'll
see that how that goes in terms of cigar smoking.
376
:Yeah. You know my father is obviously 78 years
old, very healthy and very smart and wise. We
377
:always get a lot of inputs from him. But not only
from him but from everybody at the factory who has
378
:come before us. There are a few key messages that
stuck on everything that we do. First is that we
379
:we say what we do and we do what we say. We need
to be consistent on our word as you know persons,
380
:individuals but also as business people. So we
try to be congruent in everything that we do,
381
:our promises to our customers to our partners but
most importantly to the people who dedicate their
382
:life to supporting and making this this brand and
this product possible. Yeah. And the second of one
383
:which was for me a life-changing perspective came
in when I began working at the factory and Leonel,
384
:back then who was our factory manager, and had
more than 40 years of experience doing this thing
385
:he came up to me and said you know it's very
easy to get confused in this in this business
386
:but you need to understand something is that
our mission here at the factory is to make sure
387
:that when people retire, dedicate their life
here, their life is substantially better than
388
:when they first started. Wow. I love that. So,
our issue is revolves around the well-being of
389
:so many people. Obviously, we are on the market
and consumer-facing stage. So you know quality,
390
:consistency they are a priority and delivering
a a product that satisfy everybody's wants and
391
:needs is a priority but also on the back side on
the factory level where so many people depend on
392
:what we do on our successes and our failures
that's also very important. So having the
393
:humanity of what we do present always was part of
our let's say our stamp of approval of a stamp of
394
:beginning. Everything that we do we measure
it with respect to the impact that that has
395
:on the people on people's lives on people well of
people's well-being on their family you know so
396
:that's that's sort of some of the non-negotiables
that we have down here. Yeah I love that. I have
397
:something to say before we go to this other
point. Yeah. Something that my father always
398
:encouraged us was that there always has to be
a Quesada because you are the one representing
399
:the brand and everything. But with Juan, I have
learned that getting to have a good team, good
400
:people beside you and getting them involved and
getting them to be involved in the brand and the
401
:family and all the legacy is something that I have
learned throughout the years because of Juan has
402
:taught me that and not because my father said you
always have to be there. I mean, you don't always
403
:have to be there. If you have a good team beside
you that also has the same values that you have
404
:and that you can share with them that feeling,
then they could also represent you the same as I
405
:could do it for myself. Yeah. Cuz at that point,
it's a very it's, you know, like corporations,
406
:right? Large corporations will talk about like,
oh yeah, when you work here, you're family. But in
407
:your in the instance of of your two brands, your
two companies, it seems as though the familial
408
:feeling really like it hits close to home for the
both of you because Juan, I I noticed you talk a
409
:lot about like the the human element of your brand
and the people who work for your brand. Raquel,
410
:you were talking about it as well. Juan, would
you say that like a lot of that is grounded in
411
:the fact that the brand basically survived through
a revolution, through nationalization, through an
412
:embargo, through a civil war, and it, you know,
essentially the factory got burnt down, didn't it,
413
:at one point, like many years ago, and then it had
to be rebuilt by by the employees. And, you know,
414
:essentially in the grand scheme of things, when
you really think about it, it's not you're nothing
415
:without those employees and probably previous
generations of, you know, that probably worked at
416
:Joya de Nicaragua, right? Yeah. Yeah. Well, it's
it's it all goes back to what Raquel was saying.
417
:You are as good as the people you surround
yourself with. Yeah. Right. You have great
418
:people around you, people who are committed, who
people who are passionate, people who can share,
419
:be empathic. Then you will be better not only
as an individual as a professional but also as
420
:a team and as a company eventually. So we are a
reflection of the people who use this emblem in
421
:their shirt and that wear our brand and yes our
we are very distinct from Nicaraguan companies
422
:in in the sense that our brand does not carry
our family name. Yes, we are messengers. Yes,
423
:you will see my father in pictures and and
and and my involvement. But the brand existed
424
:before us. The brand does not exist because
of us. It exists now. We are messengers and
425
:the brand will exist even if we are not here you
know. So for us it we are just a transitory stage
426
:that can last a long time but the brand should
be more than us as family as individuals. So
427
:that's why we focus a lot on getting good people
representing the brand and working together to
428
:build something that is more than just a family or
or or individuals. That's our specific experience.
429
:But obviously everybody has their own trajectory
to to to walk. Yeah. Yeah. And that's something
430
:that as I said that's something that me and my
sister that now are the ones leading the company
431
:how to do it differently but successfully. Yeah.
And I have I have a question like it's not it's
432
:in the same vein I think but shifting gears just
a tiny bit. So, Puro Sabor and Pro Cigar have now
433
:kind of they're relatively close to each other at
the early part of the year and you get, you know,
434
:I would imagine a large volume of people that come
down, see your factories, they're participate in
435
:those events. How does, how does that, spotlight
affect not only your, you know, you and your
436
:families, but also the people that work for you?
Is that a positive experience for them? Does it
437
:create sometimes some stress? You know, cuz not
everybody wants to be in the spotlight and have
438
:to be, you know, in front of a lot of people doing
what they normally do just, you know, day in and
439
:day out. But how does that experience and how do
those festivals impact your businesses? For us,
440
:I think everybody's just waiting for that time of
the year. Is that right? Okay. Yeah. Yeah. For us
441
:and our team, everybody's just like waiting for
that because like Christmas for us. Yeah. Like
442
:Yeah. Like you're going to Disney World. Oh,
I love that. That's great because the thing
443
:is like you get to see so many people together.
This year Pro Cigar had a new modality which is
444
:have an afternoon with retailers only. So we got
to meet all the retailers that were coming not
445
:only the press or the final consumer but the
retailers that came to the festival. So that
446
:was something new for us. So my team was really
excited. We had an amazing afternoon with a lot
447
:of meeting people and getting to know new stores
and introducing Quesada Cigars to them. So,
448
:also the the nights are endless and they're very
they're very people like remember them, you know,
449
:so well because they're so they're so great. I
guess it's a little different because we have
450
:the infrastructure from for Santiago is a little
different from Estelí. We have new hotels going
451
:on. We have a lot of restaurants, all the chains
for like Hyatt, Hilton are all I mean all these
452
:chains for hotels are already established
in Santiago. So, Santiago has grown a lot
453
:throughout the years. Sure. And that makes the
festival much better in in many ways. Yeah. And
454
:how to handle the logistics of everything. It's
very smooth. I love that. So the the festivals
455
:the festivals are beautiful because they give us
at the DR and in Nicaragua also the opportunity to
456
:share with our customers from all over the world.
A lot of the culture the you know the the intimacy
457
:the personal touch that most of the times we lack
because we do business you know at throughout
458
:the world. Yep. But they are also a symbiotic
thing right. This is just not a celebration for
459
:the people who come over and enjoy the parties
and the dinners and the lunches and the tours,
460
:but it's also for the benefit of the people down
here. They get the opportunity to engage and to
461
:meet the people who enjoy their products from
all over the world. And it's a it's a testament
462
:and a show of respect having people coming
over and celebrating with them you know with
463
:the cigarreros, with the tabaqueros, with the
teams down here that most of the times they don't
464
:get the opportunity to travel but it's bringing
them home and they they enjoy it. They see it,
465
:you know, from them for their it's their work,
their handcraft, the things that they do every
466
:single day to come to have people pay a lot of
money to travel back and just to meet them and say
467
:thanks and learn from them. It's it's a beautiful
thing to see and I think that's for us down here
468
:not only the value on on having the company
showcase their their their beautiful facilities
469
:and all that, but also for the people to get to
receive that love from abroad. It's priceless. I
470
:love it. And also like for us, we like many of our
employees or our collaborators have been working
471
:there for 40, 30, 25 years. So also like having
the opportunity to see that it's it's it, you
472
:know, tells them that this is family. Yeah. Cuz
they've been working there since my father started
473
:the company in '74 51 years ago. There's there's
many of them and and it's impressive and then for
474
:them to see that also is also very impressive.
There has to be like a great deal of pride for
475
:your employees to be able to see people come in
with mass I can't even imagine smiling ear to ear
476
:you know being captivated by the stories of your
companies being able to see people rolling cigars,
477
:working with the tobacco and like really immersing
themselves in it with you know and again it's
478
:funny, Raquel you talked about this it feels like
they're going to Disneyland right or Disney World
479
:and let me tell you something I always say like
there's the before and after of going to a cigar
480
:factory. Everybody makes cigars and does the same
thing, but everybody has their little touch and
481
:magic. Yeah. Yeah. So, so if you go to Juan's
factory and you go to mine, it's going to be
482
:beautiful and you and it's going to be an amazing
experience, but you're going to see like the his
483
:touch and then our touch. Yeah. Yeah. That's it's
really awesome that your staff gets to essentially
484
:share in the joy for the end consumer, right? And
and and be able to essentially, you know, for that
485
:time period, for that weekend, be the star, right?
That everyone's looking at and saying, "Oh my God,
486
:like this person's, you know, an all-star,
an all-pro or, you know what I mean?" Like,
487
:this is the person who is making is is essentially
enriching my life when I smoke a cigar and enjoy
488
:a cigar, you know? I think that's awesome. And
making my life happy. Yeah. Yeah. 100%. So when
489
:when people when we start the tours, we always
ask people, you know, feel free to take pictures,
490
:videos, talk to anybody you want. But there's
only one requirement that you have to do. It's to
491
:give thanks to the people. You know, a smile or a
simple gracias in Spanish, it goes a long way for
492
:the people who who are committed to making your
life a little bit better. So that's sort of our
493
:our key message for people who come over. I love
that. I love that. Amazing. Yeah, I love that.
494
:Yeah, because you know, of course you take pride
in things that you create or in things that you
495
:do or make and and there's enjoyment in that, but
when other people affirm that and appreciate that
496
:and are able to say thank you to that, that's a
whole another level of appreciation and I think
497
:that's really special. Yeah. Showing thanks, words
of affirmation, I think go a long way for like
498
:we're human, right? Like I think I think we all
want I think we all want to have that feeling that
499
:what we do and especially the amount of pride that
probably goes into their everyday, right? Their
500
:their roles and responsibilities, I think probably
means the world to them. So to have somebody visit
501
:the factory and tell them how much it they
appreciate it, I have to hope goes a long way
502
:for them. Yeah. And also encourage them to make
it better. And also something that we do together
503
:with what Juan said is that if we get a prize or
if we have a good rating or something, we always
504
:put it like a bulletin board so they know that
what they're doing is being appreciated. Yeah.
505
:That they were part of that. Yeah. That's so cool.
All right. So, one thing that we really we always
506
:want to ensure we give you two the opportunity to
talk about is what does the next six months look
507
:like for you? Like what are you excited about?
that's coming down the pike, you know, or coming
508
:down the pike, like what what what's going on
in your worlds that you're like, "Oh my God,
509
:I cannot wait for people to see this." It could
be a PCA release. It could be whatever you two are
510
:like super excited to tell the world about. Floor
is yours. What is it? Well, in my in my in our and
511
:me and Patricia and Quesada Cigars, we are getting
a rebrand for the whole you know, the rebrand for
512
:the whole company. No way. And that's awesome.
That's awesome. So, when's this happening? That's
513
:got to be exciting and terrifying. Well, let me
tell you something. It's it's two ways because me,
514
:I'm very sentimentalism and then my sister, it's a
little bit more bold. So, for me, it was a little
515
:harder. For her, it was a little easier. Sure.
But at the end, now that I see it and now I'm
516
:really I'm loving it and I'm really I identify
myself with it. It's just a little bit of,
517
:you know, that sentimentalism of 26 years with
the same, you know, yeah, logo and with the same
518
:labels and the rings and everything. Now it's
a totally modern and more unique and you know,
519
:like modernization of the brand, right? Yeah. I
love it. But let me tell you something. We're very
520
:excited about it. It's going to be launching
at PCA. Oh, that's awesome. And we also have
521
:two new lines that are coming for PCA also. One
that is something totally totally outside the box
522
:for Quesada Cigars with a lot of color and with
a system that we have never have made before. So,
523
:and with the new rebranding and also we're going
to have my father's 79-year anniversary because
524
:he's going to be 79 next month, but he said I
don't want 80, cuz I'm I'm like that. I want to
525
:celebrate my 79. I love it. So, we're going to be
celebrating 79. Oh, yay. That's awesome. And so,
526
:are you doing a celebration at PCA? Uh-huh. We're
just launching it for PCA. That's awesome. That's
527
:so cool. That's really cool. Congratulations, in
advance. That is. Yeah, that's really So, you'll
528
:see that you'll you'll see our new rebranding and
everything that comes along. Sweet. Can't wait. I
529
:can't wait. Juan, what about you, dude? Well, I'm
actually quite excited about Quesada's rebranding
530
:to be honest. Because, no, to be honest, I I've
seen how hard Raquel and Patricia have worked
531
:in redefining their own future and their own path.
And I think that rebranding is always a monumental
532
:moment not only for for the brand but also for
us as as participants of the brand because it
533
:showcases your intent to move forward to you know
renew yourself in an industry that tends to be
534
:very slow in change. I think that change is always
good. not necessarily means it's going to be fully
535
:successful at the beginning, but change is a it's
it translates to everybody that you have your own
536
:vision to that you want to share with the world.
And I'm super excited that Raquel and Patricia are
537
:now taking the lead in in in sharing that with the
world. And I'm I'm super excited to see the the
538
:final result. And I think it's going to be, you
know, groundbreaking for such a legendary brand
539
:as Quesada to be able to move forward with a
new stage. Now, that that doesn't mean that
540
:things in the past didn't work. It just means
that we evolve and that we learn from our past,
541
:from our mistakes, from our successes. And
a rebranding is a reflection of that. So,
542
:I'm excited about that. And I'm also very excited
about this work that we're doing together as
543
:partnership. This is the first time that Joya has
been able to gather control of its identity in
544
:the United States. So we are excited to sit down
with our retailers, our partners in the US to be
545
:able to share it from our own voice, from our own
heart, from our own soul and and do it together
546
:with with the with the Quesada family. That for
me is that's the highlight of the year. We'll have
547
:new products. Yes, we'll have introductions.
But for me, it goes to the core of being able
548
:to to joint partnership with with Raquel and
Patricia and Manolo in building something new
549
:together that has hopes for for the long time.
We're very excited to That's fantastic. Yeah,
550
:you you two are awesome. I you know I got to tell
you like the conversation with you two it's very
551
:your thoughts on the industry your thoughts on on
your brands and moving them forward but also like
552
:paying homage to your you know your predecessors
right like your you know your family the people
553
:that came before you is very profound and really
touches home for me. So thank you for that like it
554
:really does mean a lot. We really appreciate it.
Now, now now that you mentioned it, let me share
555
:share our our aspiration together as as partners
is that we are in this road together to modernize
556
:without losing our soul. We want to be, you know,
better companies, better teams for our partners,
557
:but we don't want to lose who we are, our identity
and the essence of our souls, of our families and
558
:of our forefathers. And that's sort of the core
of what we're doing. Yes. Prevailing the past
559
:and just moving on with the future. Yeah, it's
a lovely message. The world changes pretty fast
560
:these days and and the more we can adapt while
still maintaining that core those core values
561
:and and the fact that that's it all stems from
humans and people that we get to spend our lives
562
:with. I think that's a beautiful thing when we
can kind of marry those two. So kudos to you guys.
563
:So my a very wise man always tells me that for
the future it doesn't matter how smart you are.
564
:IQ's don't matter anymore now what it matters
is AQ your adaptability coefficient right so
565
:how fast and how a agile can you adapt to the new
world to the new reality how fast you can adapt
566
:as an individual with your family, with your kids
that will be the future and not only just the the
567
:intellectual coefficient Yeah. Yeah, that's a hell
of a viewpoint. Yep. Well, look, we we love you
568
:guys. We appreciate everything. Uh thank you so
much. Yeah. Thank you for spending your time with
569
:us. We know you have busy lives and you have a
lot going on right now, but yeah, we we genuinely
570
:would not imagine we genuinely feel honored that
we get to be the, you know, the first conversation
571
:with this new partnership. It's that's very
special for us. So, thank you for uh gifting us
572
:with that. It really means a lot and we appreciate
your support. not only of Boveda but of us as
573
:uh individuals and people and uh we can't wait to
see you both uh at PCA and appreciate it. See you
574
:there, guys. Thank you very much for having
us. Thank you so much and we'll see you soon.
