Konscious Cigars’ Founder and CEO, Kevin Brown chats it up with StickMan #1 about his up and coming cigar brand.
PuffChat with Konscious Cigars
Reggie: I am so glad to see you.
Kevin: Yes sir.
Reggie: You have been in [inaudible] it up for a while. I went to the Maduro Marauders and visited your lounge.
Kevin: Yes sir.
Reggie: It was a great place, it was a nice place. It got a lot of love in there, and everyone kick back and just welcomed this really with open arm.
Kevin: That’s what is going to always be.
Reggie: And that’s really what the lifestyle is all about. So, we’re here today and I want to kind of talk about Konscious cigars a little bit. We’ve spent a lot of time following what’s going on and what people are talking about. My first time actually being introduced to Konscious, even before I met you and we talked on the phone, was that I came here to Havana cigars and Rafael told me about it. And then my brother was telling me about it, you went to school with my brother?
Kevin: Yes.
Reggie: And then we chop it up. And then I had one when I went to Maduro in Tampa. And now I said I got to have it again and so thank you, it’s a great stick, it hasn’t disappointed yet. And now I want to give you a chance to tell people about the Konscious Cigar.
Kevin: Absolutely. I believe whoever smoke this cigar, whatever it tells your palate, that’s what it is to you.
Reggie: Okay.
Kevin: There’s no right or wrong way. So, everybody says it’s different Nokes, but to me, it’s smooth, it’s creamy. It’s a relaxing cigar. So, you sit back and—
Reggie: Would you put it in kind of the medium category.
Kevin: Yes, it’s medium. So, it’s medium to four, it’s Habano wrapper, but it’s a slight spice. It’s not overpowering spice and you get a little pepper on the back. But overall medium. But I would say medium to four.
Reggie: Medium to four
Kevin: Yes, to a new palate.
Reggie: Okay.
Kevin: But to you, medium.
Reggie: Medium. Okay, gotcha. So, the cigar is taking off. I hear people talking about it. I enjoy it myself. I know they sell it here in Havana Cigars ATL. So, what gave you the inspiration, kind of what started this whole journey for you.
Kevin: So, the truth of the matter is, my cigar lounge that I’m just telling you about, so, my partners and I, few years back, we decided to open up a cigar lounge and I told myself there’s no way I can open a cigar lounge and not have my own cigars. So, all my life, I mean, for a while I’ve been thinking about it, but once I got a cigar lounge, I knew I can actually make that happen. I started doing my research, ran across a good manufacturing company, Don Kiki, and it took off from there.
Reggie: Okay, was it difficult to kind of establish the relationships to kind of, you know, create your own brand? What was that all love too?
Kevin: So, I actually visit their shop years ago, so I kind of already knew them.
Reggie: And it’s down in Nicaragua.
Kevin: No, I actually visit their shop in America.
Reggie: In American.
Kevin: The factory is in Nicaragua.
Reggie: Gotcha.
Kevin: So, their cigar lounge is in Daytona. So, I go up there. So, I already kind of knew them and met him a while ago and started talking to a guy named Ben and Karen and then I ask them, they say, let’s do it, and I showed up at the airport and to go.
Reggie: And were you looking for a specific blend when you went to get started.
Kevin: Yes. So, initially, I wanted to go over and do a full body roll, but I was, Veremis taught me to get more than one size. So, I end up doing both and I end up going down to medium instead of full because I had this light bulb moment where, you know, a medium person will come up and smoke… A mild person will come up and smoke a medium, and a full will come down to smoke a medium, but if I only had a full body, the mild person, they’re not going to jump to full. So, we’re in between.
Reggie: Okay.
Kevin: So, I can reach more people, for my first stay.
Reggie: For your first stay. Okay, and I’m assuming this is just the beginning.
Kevin: It is.
Reggie: What’s next?
Kevin: I got something in mind, I don’t quite know yet because I can’t get over that because of covid. But once covid disappears, I do plan on at least doing two more.
Reggie: Two more. Okay.
Kevin: I’m hoping by next year.
Reggie: Okay. Now, how long have you been actually smoking cigars yourself?
Kevin: My first cigar that I ever smoke was probably about thirteen years old.
Reggie: Okay, you guys—
Kevin: Not actually smoking, smoking. I would say about 2007.
Reggie: Okay, that’s when I would say, so, 2007 is really the birth of your journey.
Kevin: Yes sir.
Reggie: Where you actually can say, you know what, I’m a cigar smoker.
Kevin: Yes.
Reggie: And then you start educating yourself the same environment.
Kevin: You know, you start going to lounges, go to a particular lounge, meeting good folks and a couple of guys in particular who already knew this, sat me down and would teach me things about it.
Reggie: Okay, I love that. So, when we’re in town we’ve we got to go to [inaudible 05:27].
Kevin: Yes, sir.
Reggie: We got to get the Konscious Cigar.
Kevin: Yes, sir.
Reggie: And so, as a business person, what would you say to other people that are getting this cigar initiative, is it something that you would recommend others to try or is it something that you got to tread lightly on. What do you think?
Kevin: I would say, if that’s your passion, do it. Nothing happens overnight. Everything’s from the ground. If you’ve got the patience and the time and the willingness, you can do it, but don’t come in thinking you would be a super star. It ain’t about that. It’s about respecting people that are actually enjoying the leave. Because that’s the most important thing we all know, you got to enjoy the leave. And just straight up conversation, man.
Reggie: Oh, I love it. So, beyond cigar, one thing that I really have been impressed with, you got some pretty hot little merchandise.
Kevin: Yes, sir.
Reggie: Tell us about this man. This is sweet right here, I like this.
Kevin: So, I got travel bags and travel ash trays. So, these are $65 plus tax and these are 55 plus tax. But in these days with COVID, the ash tray is the best thing to have. So, now you ain’t got to worry about nobody touching yours and you got your own personal ash tray. You can open it.
Reggie: You got your own travel ash tray.
Kevin: It’s a brand new, I got paper in it still.
Reggie: Okay. Oh, I love that. I love that.
Kevin: Yeah man, it’s personal.
Reggie: I’m going to get some close up, don’t worry about it. That’s sweet. And then we have the bag, I love this bag.
Kevin: We have the bag, and the bag also comes with a hook, you got your own portable battery, you can plug it in to charge your phone up as you go. We’ve got you cover man, you can smoke and do your thing.
Reggie: I love it.
Kevin: So, what I did was I try to sell what I do, when I’m out of the country, if I’m just traveling different lounges, not my lounge, I like a cigar. Well, I have my bag of my stuff in it and my own ashtray. So, I’m just selling what I do. And it’s what we all do it anyways.
Reggie: Oh, I love it man. So, one of the things that we like to talk about, it actually, really is kind of what we’re all about in this cigar lifestyle. I tell people about the relationships, it’s about the conversations that we built. But obviously it starts with the puffing, me personally, you know, don’t judge me, but I like to sip when I’m doing it, I typically like that.
Kevin: Me too.
Reggie: A little whiskey. So, and then I like to talk. Let’s just chop it up. So, that’s why we say it’s Stickman, Puff, Sip, Chat, Repeat. So, what’s your favorite puff. I always like to know from the cigar lounge owners, a cigar retailer like yourself. What’s your favorite puff?
Kevin: I’ll say anything Nicaraguan, but some of my go to man if it’s not my Konscious cigar. I smoke other things other than my cigar. I like the Master blend, I like the K by Karen Berger, and L 40.
Reggie: Okay, I love it. What you sip on when you’re doing it?
Kevin: Bourbon. I’m a bourbon guy.
Reggie: You’re a bourbon guy?
Kevin: Yeah. Bourbon.
Reggie: And you know, in the last year bourbon has become a staple for me. I was strictly single malt for a long time, but now bourbon has caught on with me. Do you have a favorite bourbon that you like?
Kevin: I do. I like the Buffalo Trace distillery. So, I did think out of there.
Reggie: I’ve got to say, everything they produce seems to be good.
Kevin: Give me give me the Buffalo Trace, the Wellow. or the Blantons.
Reggie: Okay. And you can find it.
Kevin: That’s right. I know where to snake is spotted, so I find it.
Reggie: Okay, well you have to tell me that off camera, because it won’t be a secret anymore if you say that on camera. And then when you’re chopping it up with the fellows, or whoever you smoking with, what is your favorite type of conversation?
Kevin: So, my favorite are sports, culture, black culture, black awareness, hence the name Konscious cigars, we like to talk about how can we make things better for us.
Reggie: I love that man, Konscious, with the K.
Kevin: Yes sir, with the K.
Reggie: Konscious with the K. And so, being at your homeboy, are you bucks fan?
Kevin: Absolutely.
Reggie: We’re going to do it this year.
Kevin: Absolutely. Absolutely.
Reggie: The first game was a little shaky.
Kevin: They get to know each other.
Reggie: But they got to get to know each other, Brady’s got to settle that.
Kevin: Pre-season.
Reggie: They didn’t have a pre-season, exactly. So, for all you Phalcon fans that follow me, the bucks are coming, we’re coming. On a serious topic, though, you know, with the Konscience cigar, I really love the fact that you name your cigar with Konscience cigar, with the way you just describe it. We are living in some crazy times right now. And, you know, not to get all political, but—
Kevin: You’ve got to be aware.
Reggie: Everybody should go vote.
Kevin: Yeah, I agree with you.
Reggie: And vote for whoever you going to vote for. But go vote, and hopefully things in 2021 would be better than what we had in 2020.
Kevin: Hopefully sir.
Reggie: More collaboration.
Kevin: Yes sir.
Reggie: And so, hopefully even if we’re not in the same city, let’s hook up for some zoom session, you keep me posted on what you are doing.
Kevin: I agree. No problem.
Reggie: And I would do the same thing. Hopefully I’ll be down in Tampa soon, I got to go see Mom anyway.
Kevin: Come down here man.
Reggie: And then when I’m going to see Mom, I get to see you, and we will definitely fill up.
Kevin: Thank you brother.
Reggie: I’m talking to you. We’re going to go find you, man. You’re going to come hanging with us.
Kevin: I can’t wait to see you.
Reggie: Hey, so, thanks for chopping it up with us.
Kevin: Thank you man.
Reggie: It’s been awesome.
Kevin: I appreciate it.
Reggie: So, the StickMenBlog, Konscious Cigar, follow us on TheStickMenBlogs on Instagram, follow us on Facebook, TheStickMenBlog, and on Twitter, and our YouTube Channel. TheStickMenBlog. Until then, Puff, Sip, Chat, Repeat. Out.
