Tobacco Business

[ 66 ] TOBACCO BUSINESS [ JULY / AUGUST | 21 ] B Business got really serious last year for Brian Desind, founder of Privada Cigar Club. With the world on lockdown and the demand for handmade cigars increasing dramatically, what began as a side hustle to sell off a collection of limited edition cigars eventually turned into an exclusive club of cigar enthusiasts—with Desind serving as its fearless, unapologetic leader. Much like some of the great entrepreneurs of our time, Desind moves at a rapid pace. If he has an idea or if there’s something he wants to do, he doesn’t spend much time talking about it or thinking about it—he does it. As a musician, he learned the power that comes from taking an idea and making it become reality sooner rather than later. Those that have watched Privada Cigar Club’s growth over the past four years and witnessed the unique connection Desind has with its members and other cigar enthusiasts should not be surprised by Desind’s recent accomplishment: being voted as this year’s Tobacco Businessman of the Year at the Tobacco Business Awards. Like most successful businessmen, Desind is less about overanalyzing the cigar market and more about making things happen. Privada Cigar Club has reached its limit of members and become exclusive, leaving many waiting for their chance to get in on the action. Desind has also created other businesses within the world of Privada Cigar Club for the benefit of retailers and consumers. He launched Farm Rolled, another subscription-based club within Privada that delivers cigar smokers cigars directly from the factories where they are rolled. To drive demand into traditional brick-and-mortar retailers that were negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, Desind created the Limited Cigar Association, a program that drives his audience and followers into smaller mom-and-pop stores as they seek out rare and limited editions cigar releases they won’t find anywhere else. If it seems like a good idea, Desind will pursue it and see it through, no matter how challenging or daunting it appears. “I constantly have to remind myself [that] fear is the biggest killer of everything: of dreams, of hopes, of business and of money,” he says. “No matter what level you get to and how fearless you think you’ve become, a new fear arises and you just have to break through that shit.” As a businessman, Desind knows that many entrepreneurs become fixated on details. There’s some value in that, but Desind lives by the mantra of “work close to the money,” which, for him, means that it’s more important to focus on the details that will yield results— everything else can be revisited later. Desind’s business and the success GIVING THEMWHAT THEYWANT Brian Desind, founder of Privada Cigar Club, shares how listening to your customers and meeting their needs and expectations can lead to big business opportunities. By Antoine D. Reid Photography courtesy of Privada Cigar Club