We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Magaly Ritter. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Magaly below.

Alright, Magaly thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. One of the most important things we can do as business owners is ensure that our customers feel appreciated. What’s something you’ve done or seen a business owner do to help a customer feel valued?

The cigar industry is based around family. For us our customers become our family, without them we would not be in business. There are many ways to show customer appreciation and at Velázquez Cigar Company we do it in many ways. Whether it be memorizing customers names, faces, orders, a cigar they enjoyed or even a drink we make sure each customer feels valued in their own way. Striking a unique conversation is the first step that helps us create a unique experience every time they visit us. This leads us to implementing customers feedback by providing exactly what they are looking for. A great example of this is our outdoor patio. We began with 4 simple, concrete tables and now have multiple couches and rockers which add a different level of comfort for our customers to sit back and relax. However, cigars are not meant to just be smoked on our patio, we receive many phone and online orders which we package with care and often send a small gift along with the customers purchase. Anything from a sticker to an extra cigar allows us to demonstrate we appreciate the support but also gives our customers the chance to try a cigar that they, otherwise, might not have been interested in. Lastly, when a customer takes the time to post a review about their experience we personally answer and make sure that customer knows we value their opinion. These are just a few ways we show how much we appreciate our customers and as our business grows there will be even more opportunities.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

In 1989 our founder, Enrique Velázquez-Mora and his wife, Carmen Santiago, were seeking to create a pure Puerto Rican cigar that would compete with the top, premium cigar manufacturers in the world. Their dream became a reality in 1995 when they opened the doors to their factory on their 25-acres in the beautiful town of Florida, Puerto Rico. However, since 1998 Puerto Rico has been hit with numerous damaging hurricanes which, drove Mr. & Mrs. Velázquez to move the entire production of Sr. Velázquez cigars to the Dominican Republic. Here, they were able to maintain the quality they worked so hard to obtain. What began as an agricultural “experiment” has become an operation spanning 3 countries and 3 generations.

In 2021 Velázquez Cigar Company (VCC) made Lakeland, Florida the home of Sr. Velázquez cigars. I, alongside Mr. & Mrs. Velázquez, my parents, designed a cigar store that would be inviting to aficionados and beginners alike. Shortly after, I was joined by my older brother Manuel Velázquez. Together, we are eager to continue the growth of our family’s brand while making Velázquez Cigar Company a must see stop in Lakeland, Florida. The entire team at VCC welcomes you to stop by, light up a cigar, strike up a conversation and become a part of our history.

How’d you think through whether to sell directly on your own site or through a platform like Amazon, Etsy, Cratejoy, etc.

We have recently launched our online store for our family brand, Sr. Velázquez cigars, on our store website, velazquezcigarcompany.com. Ecommerce is almost a must now a days. It expands our businesses radius to more cigar smokers and helps us expand our family brand. Selling any product online, especially as a small business, has its pros and cons. Some cons include extensive effort to accurately portray your product, online competition, unlimited time to comparison shop and unpredictable shipping times. These three go hand and hand because if we do not portray our product accurately our customers can be unsatisfied when our product arrives. Comparison shopping is inevitable but can be used as an advantage for creating an engaging online experience and competitive pricing. As a business our job is to make sure everyone’s product is securely packaged and shipped in a timely manner. Once packages are dropped off at the post office they are out of our control, and this is where shipping errors can occur. However, ecommerce still has many pros like providing a personalized customer experience by allowing them to create an account, track their online activity and even send us a message with any questions they might have. Also, online stores never close meaning anyone, at any time, can instantly place an order from the comfort of their own home. Ecommerce is changing the way people shop and as a business we must learn to adapt if we want to boost customer engagement.

Any advice for managing a team?

I grew up an athlete constantly finding myself in team settings and the first thing you learn when working as a team is realizing there is no “I” in team. It does not matter how big or small your team is, a team leader must be honest, able to hold themselves and their team accountable and be a good speaker but an even better listener. These are just three things that help me become a better leader and individual every day. No person is perfect but acknowledging one’s mistakes can move you one step closer. Being honest allows me to stay true to myself and put my team first so I can better identify my strengths and channel my weaknesses in a positive way. Which leads to accountability, necessary at all levels, whether you are the owner, a manager, a grocery bagger, or the dish washer there are clear expectations on how success will be measured. Everyone’s capability to achieve such success can be measured in different ways depending on the individual. As a team leader it is my job to speak face to face and listen to every employee to learn everyone’s capabilities. This builds a stronger team that can divide and conquer everyday tasks. Creating a healthy environment for my employees results in high morale so everyone feels confident in their abilities to move past minor setbacks. I am a 25-year-old business owner, and I am not afraid to admit I do not know it all and maybe never will. We live in an ever-changing world where adapting and continued education is key.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.velazquezcigarcompany.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/velazquezcigarcompany/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/velazquezcigarcompany
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/velázquez-cigar-company-lakeland?osq=VELAZQUEZ+CIGAR+COMPANY