Going Mobile With Christine Morgan
Christine Morgan is the owner and founder of Lips Sticks and Fingertips. She has been living the cigar life and breaking barriers in the cigar industry for nearly a decade. Ever the businesswoman, she has learned she can’t be in two places at once. However, that hasn’t stopped her from sharing insights and welcoming newcomers […]
Molon Labe’s Steve Bartell is “All-In”
People called Steve Bartell crazy for getting into the cigar business. Still, when you have lived the cigar life since childhood, it’s anything but crazy. Bartell — owner and president of Molon Labe Cigars — is all in and has an “intent” to make his brand global. He talked with Cigar Life Guy about his […]
Jon Simons of Warfighter Tobacco Co. is Having Fun
Jon Simons tasted his first premium cigar as a teenager, and after eight and a half years as Vice President of Warfighter Tobacco Co., he has never stopped learning. He and his partners are ex-military; today’s Warfighter remains their primary focus. Simons spoke to Cigar Life Guy about the company’s recent rebranding, the similarities between […]
Reinier Lorenzo of HVC Cigars is Always Learning
Growing up in Cuba, there is probably no avoiding the cigar culture, but Reinier Lorenzo, founder of HVC Cigars, studied medicine before he studied cigars. After nearly twenty years in the cigar business, Lorenzo continues to create new blends and pay homage to Havana City. He spoke to Cigar Life Guy about getting his start, […]
Leonor Abzaradel Shares the Nova Cigars Story
Leonor Abzaradel worked in the wine business for a time. So transitioning to another luxury industry like the cigar world wasn’t difficult. Known as “Leo” in the cigar business, the CEO of Nova Cigars shared her first cigar with her father. She has been living the cigar life ever since. She talked to Cigar Life […]
Michael Herklots is Hitting All the Right Notes
Michael Herklots had worked in the cigar industry for over twenty years before launching the Ferio Tego Brand with business partner Brendon Scott in 2021. Herklots sees Ferio Tego as more than just cigar blends. It is a “philosophy rooted in values.” It’s no wonder the Ferio Tego (translated as “Strike and Defend”) brand uses […]
Going to the Moon with Omar de Frias of Fratello Cigars
Omar de Frias, founder of Fratello Cigars, left a high-paying job at NASA to pursue his passion for cigars. Omar has been living the cigar life since his teens and found some surprising similarities between his work with NASA and the cigar industry. He talked with Cigar Life Guy about the science and artisanship of […]
Small Business Champion Dr. Gaby Kafie
Dr. Gaby Kafie has been living the cigar life since he smoked his first cigar as a teen. He is also the founder of the Boutique Cigar Association and Kafie Cigars and Coffee. Since then, he has been advocating for family-run cigar businesses. Kafie spoke with Cigar Life Guy about the reflective aspects of a […]
The Wild Backstory of Wildfire Cigars Founder Jeremy McDonald
From breaking the no-smoking rules in the seminary to playing guitar in a band, Jeremy McDonald has lived the cigar life for nearly thirty years. After working for decades in cigar retail and as a sales rep, McDonald started Wildfire Cigars in the spirit of sitting around a campfire shooting the shit with a premium […]
HERficionado® Octavia Toliver Talks Finding Community in Cigars
Octavia Toliver, founder of Atlanta Cigar Week, CEO of HERficionado, and a true Sister of the Leaf (SOTL), has lived the cigar lifestyle for nearly two decades. She is as passionate about cigars as she is about curating cigar events and building a welcoming and comfortable community for women in the industry. She talked with […]