The Outlaw Tobacconist Genius

I liked the last blog so much (Education vs. Information) I was thinking of never adding another entry again, but I can't help but highlight one of the smartest and most impressive Tobacconists I have ever met. Let me clarify "met". I was standing in the line at Starbucks in the Houston convention center and I thought I recognized the face in front of me. It was Kendall Culbertson; founder of The Outlaw Cigar Co. in Kansas City, Mo. I had just read an article about the Outlaw Tobacconist in a trade publication and was impressed with his promotional hi jinks and retail philosophy. So I said 'hi', .... blah, blah, blah... 'nice to meet you'. And that was about it.

Now, the latest issue of Tobacconist magazine has arrived and I have read another article about Outlaw Cigar Co. (by Stephen A. Ross, page 51). But this article is infinitely better than the last one I read; highlighting the real genius of the Outlaw Tobacconist. I can't stop repeatedly reading the article because there is so much helpful and amazing information. Kendall is a revolutionary and brilliant Tobacconist and businessman so I would like to quote a few excerpts and ideas here. I believe there is something valuable to learn from almost every Tobacconist: there is so much information, knowledge, and wisdom in retail Tobacconists!!! We have far more in common than we tend to think... But I think i have found my new Guru...

- "If you do a good job of creating a cigar smoker, you're growing your own business as well as others. Grow the pie; don't worry about the size of your slice. If the pie grows, your slice automatically gets bigger." (I could stop writing now, because this says it all)

- "An aged cigar is better and it's unique. I try to convince people to age cigars themselves because they are so much better." (this is good for business and customer appreciation)

- "How much better does the cigar taste with the story..." (Sidney Frank, entrepreneur behind Grey Goose said: "Americans want to pay more, you just have to give them a good story")

- "You've got to get people interested in your business ... show them that you are having a good time" (Amen)

- "Why are cigars in convenience stores, liquor stores and grocery stores? They're not going to create new cigar smokers .... haven't you just sold out the cigar industry's ability to gain cigar smokers?" (Hallelujah! and shame on those manufacturers that bypass their retail Tobacconists to generate simple revenue instead of lifelong and loyal customers)

- "A guy is not going to get passionate about the cigar he's smoking by buying it in a grocery store"

- "I believe that I'm in the health business. Whats the number one killer of men? Stress. What can you do to relieve stress? You can't just tell someone to relax. A cigar is a great way. When a guy smokes a cigar for an hour and a half or two hours and has fun with the other guys, he's relaxing. What is unhealthier - the smoke that he gets from the cigar or the stress that he would have if he didn't take it easy for an hour and a half each day? I think its the stress by far. I'm saving your life because I'm relieving your stress. A cigar a day can be a big relief and it paves the way for more downtime." (Savor Your Time and focus on Your Quality of Life)

- "You must hire people that are already passionate about cigars" (the main ingredient of any great Tobacconist is Passion!)

And there is soooo much more. I almost regurgitated the entire article, so I will have to stop here. To me the lesson is, Care about your industry, your profession, and your customers, and you will be healthy, wealthy, and wise. Outlaw Cigar Co. does amazing events where they have even brought in Apache helicopters to amuse their crowds... While this is totally absurd for most of us, the principles, ideas, and values they espouse are applicable to all retail Tobacconists, and immediately actionable!!! So, Get to work.

PS: (shameless self promotion) you can read a little about Tobacconist University on page 31
PSS: What's going on in Kansas City, MO....??? Between Xikar and Outlaw, there must be something special in the water... we should have a convention there!

Education vs. Information

I have been wanting to write this particular blog for years and now the thoughts seem to be percolating, so the time is right. The differences between Information and Education are at the heart of Tobacconist University values and our vision/mission.

Distinguishing between the two can be the difference between just living and a life well-lived.

Information is typically what you get when you watch the evening news and hear sensational sound bites about Britney Spears, obese Americans, or when you hear politicians spinning their language about S-CHIP, anti-smoking statistics, and a myriad of other things. Information is data, often sensationalized for our limited attention spans. And it is indisputable that we live in the Age of Information. Between the internet, cell phones, tv, print and broadcast media, we are always being bombarded with information. Information is the nutritional equivalent of a twinkie; it may taste good but there is relatively little substance or value in it.

Information is about Quantity, while Education is about Quality.

Education is Information put into context with a perspective grounded in values and principles: and that is what Tobacconist University is about.

This topic is resonating with me right now because we are making a big push to enhance our already unparalleled glossary and turn it into a multi-media encyclopedia. We have endeavoured to find every tobacco glossary (in the English language) and make sure we don't miss a thing. In that process, we have discovered an overwhelming amount of Information, opinion, and/or subjective interpretation. When we find words worthy of the TU glossary, we go through our library of books, cross-reference (3x), call experts, and then re-create the most valuable definition possible: after all, we are trying to create a timeless educational curriculum.

But, I am astounded at the amount of crap/information in the marketplace. There is very little content created with a long-term vision and an eye towards Quality. Much like the world we live in, Quantity often trumps Quality, so people don't even attempt to create accurate and compelling content. Fortunately, you can rest assured that TU will never take this easy way out. Sadly, this trend carries through most of the Information we find on the internet. Even emails/newsletters I receive through the industry are full of erroneous or absurd information. I get a handful of so-called "expert" emails on a regular basis and they are always filled with incorrect information. Many of these so-called "experts" (I will call them "Fakeperts") are merely pontificators trying to position themselves as thought-leaders in an effort to sell you products: that is one of the reasons TU does not sell any products or advertisements. And ultimately, these Fakeperts are doing harm to our industry and consumers while they try to make a quick buck.

Education requires research, perspective, and context. Consequently, Education requires vision, commitment, and integrity. These are the values that will help "Preserve Luxury Tobacco for Generations to Come". Since we are an open-source Academic Curriculum, we encourage credible Tobacconists to contribute their knowledge to our institution. In that process we can help aggregate, promote, and strengthen the foundation upon which this industry is built: which is great Tobacconists! Without great, credible, and professional Tobacconists, our precious industry will die.

So, Educate yourselves!!! And help us Educate!!!

TU vs. CCU

Internet traffic is a funny thing. Today I woke up to see that we got hundreds of visits from Sweden. Some days we are big in Europe, Asia, Latin America, but mostly our visitors come from the north eastern part of the United States. Since we haven't really marketed TU, we rely on word of mouth and passionate individuals to spread the word. But there is always a bit of mystery when people in the middle east or far off countries find TU. Fortunately, once they find us, they are hooked and we see them coming back regularly.

Between Sweden and the cigarfamily website today, I noticed we get lots of hits/links to Cuban Cigar University (CCU). Frankly, I'm just glad people visit, but I thought this would be a good time and place to clarify the relationship and differences between TU and CCU.

I started CCU as the in-house training college for my retail Tobacconists, following a research and educational trip to Cuba in 1996. It became so popular that we started giving public courses and Certifications to consumers as well as Tobacconists. By 2003, we incorporated CCU into TU and the TU website. CCU was cigar focused. TU is a much broader and more ambitious project intended to benefit ALL retail Tobacconists, consumers, and the industry. Ultimately, it just seemed selfish to hoard all of the CCU work just for ourselves, so the concept of TU emerged. Today there is a CCU website (address) and people all over the world find it and use it on a regular basis: I think the word "Cuba" carries a lot of weight in consumers' minds. But that site is really just the Tobacconist University site. So, in case you are wondering why the content is the same, that is because Tobacconist University emerged from Cuban Cigar University. And hopefully, one day, the word TOBACCONIST will carry as much weight as Cuba...

TU SPONSORS

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of the Sponsors which have made the free educational, certification, and professional services of Tobacconist University (TU) possible. Our efforts to "Preserve Luxury Tobacco for Generations to Come" would not be possible without the intellectual and monetary contributions of our Sponsors. We are particularly proud of our no-advertising policy and open-source Academic Curriculum which ensures an unbiased, thorough, dynamic, and democratic learning institution.

Ironically, I am the only Tobacconist University Sponsor at the moment. Ironically, I have been sooooo busy over the last 4 years of development that I have barely leveraged TU assets for my retail company A Little Taste of Cuba (ALTOC); except for Certifying every Tobacconist. In the future ALTOC will have the entire TU website co-branded with our logo at the top left hand corner of every TU page. TU will be hot-linked to the ALTOC website (http://www.cubacigar.com/ , which I have also neglected) with quick-links to the FAQ, HOW-TO, Glossary, and Campus pages. All of this in an effort to provide our retail customers with the most value-added services possible. And always striving to enhance customers' product, industry, and Tobacconist appreciation.

But as they say, that is neither here nor there.... I really just wanted an excuse to show off the new Sponsor Logo. I will not use this for ALTOC because we are currently putting together our family of Founding Sponsors; they will be a distinguished group of vertically integrated companies. This is a slow process and we are at various stages with several extraordinary companies. Over the next two weeks the final batch of Sponsor Proposals will go out and then we will wait and see what the future holds.

Ultimately, this Sponsor Logo will be a Badge of Honor for those companies extraordinary enough to use it. The TU Sponsor Logo will be absolute proof that these companies are committed to Brick & Mortar Tobacconists, consumers, and our precious industry. Fortunately, we can accomplish a lot with very little; annual Sponsorship will cost less than a one page ad in Cigar Aficionado. By providing the free educational services and committing to higher standards we will usher in a new age of Credibility for this besmirched and maligned industry. Cigar & Pipe makers deserve a great deal more respect than they are currently getting; as do retail Tobacconists, since we are their ambassadors and the final point of contact for passionate consumers.

I hope you like the Sponsor Logo: it is a symbol for companies who 'walk the talk'. In the future, if you see a company using it to show their pride, you will know they are truly committed to their consumers and Tobacconists!

Make Up Girl vs. Certified Tobacconist

I experienced extreme shock this Friday when my girlfriend dragged me to the mall for a sale at bloomies. Just before the main event, she pushed me into a giant apothecary/beauty product store. While I doubt the veracity of anything they tell me in that store (i.e. look younger , eliminate wrinkles, etc...) I was impressed with their retail strategy. As we were waiting for an atomic sized sample of pomade or cream, I noticed that the Colorologist/Makeup artist/creamologist (or whatever) was wearing a pin that said Color Specialist. Now, this young lady was barely old enough to drive, so dispensing cream seemed like a challenge, yet she proceeded to tell me about her extensive training in "Color". How she traveled to the big city for days of intensive courses and her certificate. In addition, she will also be receiving another degree in another female beauty ritual which I can't remember at this moment.

Dear TOBACCONISTS, THIS IS A WAKE UP CALL. If the barely post pubescent girl at the make up store has credentials and certification, WE ARE LONG OVERDUE. Retail Certification through Tobacconist University is free for retailers, and we are far behind even the most absurd of industries. My advice is start studying!!! It is time to invest in our own CREDIBILITY and FUTURE. If society thinks that makeup girls at the mall are more knowledgeable than Tobacconists, then we will never survive.

Make your contribution towards "PRESERVING LUXURY TOBACCO FOR GENERATIONS TO COME", and improving your own businesses. Check out the new, and evolving Certified Tobacconist Page: this will be the place where TU aggregates, promotes, and shows off the world's greatest Tobacconists: all it takes is a little Focus and Commitment to be the best. Currently we are Certifying Salesforce Tobacconists (CST) so that they may go out and administer the test to Certified Retail Tobacconists (CRT): and all of this is free! We are building the brotherhood and proving to the world that our Credibility, Professionalism, and Value are real. Earn your Pin!

Retail Shoplifters

These animals are real pros. They have the nerve/confidence to steal while a Tobacconist is in the Humidor with them. It does not seem to slow them down one bit. Adding insult to injury, they disheveled cigars, boxes, packaging, and they purchased ONE cigar: most shoplifters purchase at least one inexpensive item, probably thinking that is their 'smoke screen'.

I am posting this video contrary to some very good advice: two days ago Guillermo Leon told me to consult my attorney first. I'm sure he is wiser, smarter and more prudent than me, but I can't resist. Retail Tobacconists deal with this insanity every day and they must be educated and warned. Besides, attorneys are on the wrong side of justice at least 50% of the time, and I can't count on law enforcement helping us at all. The last criminal we prosecuted (we were lucky enough to catch him) merely had to pay back the cost of one cigar, yet he stole dozens. That is a joke since it cost us and the legal system hundreds of hours just to be compensated twenty bucks.

This, and many more videos will become part of the Tobacconist University Service College section on Retail Theft/Shoplifting. It costs us over ten thousand dollars a year per store just to compensate for the losses; as if retail wasn't difficult enough. I hope these images will help us survive. And I hope these animals are not breeding and producing another generation of degenerates.

Carry an Unlit Cigar

I urge you, beg, and plead with you to carry an unlit cigar with you everywhere you go, as often as possible!!! This silent act can snowball and have a positive, lasting effect... I'm just not sure how, just yet.

Why beg and plead with my fellow cigar smokers and Tobacconists to carry an unlit cigar with them? Well perhaps I am selfish. But maybe we are onto something. We have to promote a good, positive and healthy image, and that is impossible to do since we have been banned from the rest of civil society. And most cigar smokers are good, positive, and healthy people. I rarely see people on the streets, malls, or in public places with cigars anymore. That is because we have been ostracized. I get coughed at and mocked by children as well as adults. THEY ARE WINNING. And we are retreating to our backyards.

I often have a partially smoked cigar in my hand. I walk into stores, restaurants, hotels, anywhere and everywhere. It is part of the condition of modern man, there is rarely enough time to finish a great cigar without getting interrupted or having to do something. So, I let my cigars extinguish and then I tote them along whenever possible. My hands like the feel of it and I often put it in my mouth to remind me of the joy I will soon be rewarded with. Ironically, partially smoked cigars smell bad. But that doesn't bother me. And if it bothers other people, then maybe they will prefer us to light them up.

But I am inspired to compel my luxury tobacco loving brothers to carry unlit cigars because I have been harassed far too many times this year. Simply put, Smokerism (the hatred and discrimination of smokers) has gotten out of hand. I was at the county fair, walking into a barn and a handful of children ran up to me and verbally attacked me: "put it out", "you can't smoke", "you're going to die", "the hay will catch fire", "save the animals",... etc. As if I was going to set all of the cows on fire. The cigar was not lit. A couple of months ago at the balloon festival I thought festival goers might just lynch me. Someone told me my cigar "is going to blow us all up". As if I was the guy piloting the balloon; I was just spectating... but the list goes on. Just last week I was leaving a casino, getting my car and two minutes into the process the attendant looks up and asks me "Is that lit?". And I said "If you need to ask....". And she said, "well it smells". And I said, "Oh well, where there is smoke there is fire and you have no right to avoid odor-annoyance". And then I wish I said your perfume smells like (insert expletive here)... but I didn't. These tall tales, and many more similar ones, are completely true. I can't take more than a few steps some days without being chastised. Well, (insert expletive here) you!

Please carry your cigars on you. Show the world we are not pariahs, social deviants, or demons. People must become desensitized to our passions because the current level of hysteria is driving them mad. We have rights. You have rights. Let's respect each other.