8 TOBACCO BUSINESS | SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER | 22 F E AT UR E S S E P T EMBER / OC TOBER 2 0 2 2 ON THE COVER: RAM RODRIGUEZ PHOTOGRAPHY BY: JC FONDEUR BRANDING & DESIGN CONSULTING 30 PERSONAL BUSINESS Years ago, Artista’s Ram Rodriguez stepped into his family’s tobacco business unsure of where he fit in. Today, he’s not only leading his company; he’s showing the cigar industry a new way of doing business. 44 DOING THINGS HER WAY In 2021, Cynn Coburn and her husband became the owners of Dissident Cigars, an established brand that she’s not afraid to make her own with some bold new blends and marketing. 64 BETTER AND BEST When Francisco Almonte launched DBL Cigars, many people told him he was making a mistake. Find out how he successfully built up his brand and the area of his business he invested in the most. 54 BLOCKBUSTER RESULTS When Anthony Serino sold his video business, he decided to pursue his passion, premium cigars, which led to him launching his own distribution company and premium cigar brand. 72 ROCKY’S WORLD Rocky Patel is one of the cigar industry’s biggest and most recognized personalities. Now he’s revealing the secrets behind his success and his growing premium cigar and retail empire. 30
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