We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful TJ Montgomery. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with TJ below.
TJ, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Folks often look at a successful business and imagine it was an overnight success, but from what we’ve seen this is often far from the truth. We’d love to hear your scaling up story – walk us through how you grew over time – what were some of the big things you had to do to grow and what was that scaling up journey like?
Thats a great question, and it has a pretty simple answer but to understand it is important to first understand the real business that a private cigar lounge is in. It is not a cigar or tobacco business. It is a people business, a community business and the community is what has been scaled. It was scaled because of who the members are. This business is blessed because of them. Not just anybody can become a member simply because they are willing to pay the dues. The lounge is curated both officially by a set of agreements and unofficially by the other members in order to keep it protected. Everyone, including me, wants to be in a room full of pipe hitters, and if you get to smoke cigars in that room so much the better. In short, the business/lounge, scales naturally so long as the quality of members stays the same, and so long as I can keep up with the logistical requirements of the business on the back end.
TJ, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
I have been smoking cigars for about 15 years but it wasn’t until I joined the Marine Corps that I started paying more attention to them. When life is miserable a cigar goes a long way, and so it was in those moments that I really gained an appreciation for them. Once I got out, I had a conversation with a former youth pastor of mine who owned a cigar lounge. Being determined not to work for anyone else again if I could help it, particularly the federal government, I decided to pull the trigger. Cigars are misunderstood nationwide, and often and unfairly placed in the same category as anything else a person might smoke. In the lounge only cigars and pipes are permitted. As different as cigars are from the rest of the products that people may smoke, the biggest difference is who is smoking them. I have nothing against anyone who smokes cigarettes or anything else, it is simply a different crowd of people that smoke cigars. Who these members are and the things that they accomplish never cease to amaze me.
What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?
The best source for new members is and has been word of mouth. I have gained members by other means as well but hands down word of mouth has been the most effective for this business. Word of mouth really helps funnel the right people towards the lounge.
Do you have multiple revenue streams – if so, can you talk to us about those streams and how your developed them?
Privet events are a secondary source of income for the business. Weddings, private parties and corporate events sometimes can have an interest in adding cigars/cigar experience to the event and I will occasionally assist with that.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://thetimberlinelounge.com
- Instagram: @thetimberlinelounge
