We recently connected with Robert Caldwell and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Robert, thanks for joining us today. So, one thing many business owners consider is donating a percentage of sales or profits to an organization or cause. We’d love to hear your thoughts and the story behind how and why you chose the cause or organization you donate to.

We have always been a company that was mildly involved in doing GOOD. In the beginning it was an honest effort, but as the wheels got turning and we ramped our business up, we lost track of our goals with giving back. We routinely did what we always had, without scaling up our efforts alongside our growth. Prior to the pandemic, we made a concerted effort to focus more attention on doing GOOD. The pandemic provided a perfect challenge: do we launch the initiatives we had planned in the face of economic uncertainty. We did. At the beginning it was a big challenge, but we kept at it. We ended up reformatting one of our brands into a machine that shares profits (sometimes all) with a variety of causes that we support.
We believe that businesses and individuals should do what they can to contribute. What you can and what you want to rarely align.

Robert, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

We are a cigar manufacturing company. What has set us apart from our inception has been our branding (which was, is and always will be very outside of the conventional box). We produce premium cigars using only the finest tobaccos available, but have a much more fresh approach to packaging and design concepts. In an industry dominated by tradition, out alternative approach has been what really separated us from the pack.

Do you have any insights you can share related to maintaining high team morale?

Get into the trenches. I work from home, on the road and in our offices. When I am on the road with employees or in the office, I do everything that I can to help them accomplish their daily and long-term goals. I’m writing this late at night after standing my day working in our warehouse and shipping department. Operators who get dirty undertake their businesses better. In addition, my team knows that I am part of the team, not an owner on the bench. We do everything together.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

When I was younger, I had a business partner who loved recycling past concepts. It usually works for a while and then fizzles out. I picked up the practice, because it was an easier way to generate business than creating a new concept. When I started to create new concepts, our business took off. Now all we do is develop new concepts, rather than relying on repackaging old ones.

Contact Info:

• Website: Caldwellcigars.com
• Instagram: Caldwellcigarco
• Facebook: Caldwell Cigars