Today we’d like to introduce you to Ibrahim Ruiz.
Hi Ibrahim, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
My story began in Cuba, where I was born into a household of five, including my two older sisters, my parents, and me, the baby of the family. We lived in the spare room of an apartment that shared a kitchen, common areas and one bathroom with two other families. My Dad was a piano tuner and my mother was a housewife. We didn’t have much at all. My grandpa was also in the picture and used to come around a lot. He was a cigar roller who retired when I was nearly 19 years old. While I didn’t know it at the time, he would be the reason I am where I am today.
Before he retired, he used to roll his own cigars and sell them to people. I grew up watching him and never really thought twice about this hobby. Until one day, I invited my school friends over and discovered their amazement as they watched my grandpa roll cigars. They were so impressed by the art of his craft they hardly paid any attention to me, instead they ogled over his stories, pressing him with questions about the process of the trade.
This moment changed my entire trajectory because up until this exact point in time, I hadn’t understood its significance. Growing up, it had been so prevalent in my life that I overlooked it for a common house chore or daily routine; similar to watching my mom cook or bake, rather than recognizing it for what it was… something deeply magical and uniquely special to my family and culture.
Suddenly I saw it for what it was, a way for me to stand out among my friends and become the person I wanted to be. So later that afternoon, I asked my grandpa if he could teach me how to roll cigars. With a smirk on his face and the slow nodding of his head, he agreed to teach me. He said, “Yes, I will teach you, but you need to be patient during the process”. Little did he know (or maybe he did), the person who would need patience was going to be him.
I can’t remember exactly how much time it took me to learn, but I recall my grandpa telling me I was very skilled with my hands. What I do know is it didn’t take long for me to fall in love with the craft and take it to the next level. My natural knack for it, matched with my newfound passion for cigar-rolling soon paid off. Shortly after learning, I started working for the Romeo and Juliet factory in Cuba, winning several awards for best roller of and production.
Unfortunately, at this time the economic and political climate in Cuba was dire and worsening with the fall of the USSR. The country was poor and people were forced to do what they could to make ends meet. For me, survival meant selling cigars on the black market to tourists. It was an incredibly challenging time and the risk of police exposure and imprisonment was constant. During this time, my dad and Grandpa had also passed away, and as a result, my mom and sisters left the country. I found myself alone there, and it would be another two years before I reunited with my family in Cancun, Mexico. Until then, I kept my head down and did what was necessary to make ends meet.
In 2002, I finally made it to Mexico, where I worked for a small start-up cigar rolling company called Lauro’s Cigars. They staffed and sent cigar rollers to hotel lobbies to roll and sell the cigars on-site. After doing this for a while, I moved to a different company to learn the business side of the industry. After learning the ropes, I started a small company with a dear friend of mine, selling to hotels in Cancun and along the Mayan riviera. While we had a good run (in fact, my friend still runs the operation today) I knew I wanted more.
As such, in 2009 I decided to leave Mexico in search of a better future, so naturally I found myself in the United States of America, the land of opportunities, God bless.
When I got to the States, I went straight to Miami where I lived between my Aunt and a good friend’s apartment. Despite the familiarity and comfort, the 2009 recession left overpopulated Miami with few available jobs, so I had to make the tough decision to move elsewhere. I looked at the map and I liked the name Austin, so I decided it was time to pack and go.
When I arrived in Austin, I was hired within the week at a rent-to-own company doing deliveries. I was grateful to be working and stayed with this company for a year-and-a-half before deciding I needed to go to school to improve my English, writing and communication skills. That’s when I stumbled upon a local cigar company and started working part-time while getting my education and learning the business side of the industry in the States. This particular cigar company specialized in events, where cigar rollers would arrive at venues and make fresh rolled cigars onsite for the guests to enjoy while experiencing the rolling process right before their eyes. It was quite spectacular and inspired me to start my own company.
I made the jump in 2015 with the help from a dear network of friends who had been there for me since I moved to Austin. The first year was rough, and I only sold two events that entire year…but with persistence and advertising, the following year paid off with 36 events. Since then, I haven’t looked back! Business continues to increase year-over-year with bookings months or years out!
It has definitely been a rollercoaster of blessings and I am grateful for everyone that has been involved in my journey. Truly, there are no words that could describe my love and appreciation for them. If I’ve learned anything from my journey, it’s that nothing would have been possible without all the people I have encountered in my path. They made me the person I am today and for that, I am forever grateful.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
I’d be lying if I said it’s been a smooth road. In fact, my path has been littered with obstacles since the beginning, but that’s what makes it all worth it and very rewarding to me. One example of a challenge I faced at the start of my own company comes to mind. In the beginning, I had to source suppliers in order to achieve a certain quality of tobacco until I eventually started working on my own blend. Finding and creating a blend guaranteed to please all kinds of customers (cigar vs. non-cigar smokers) was a challenge of its own, particularly appealing to first-time smokers during a private event. But finding the perfect solution is what it’s all about! Therefore, I developed a blend designed to provide the rich flavors that advanced cigar smokers have come to expect while also offering a balanced, easy product for light smokers to enjoy without getting sick or experiencing a bad taste in their mouth.
As you know, we’re big fans of Ruiz Cigars and Rollers. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Ruiz Cigars and Rollers specializes in rolling cigars for events and special occasions like weddings, corporate parties, birthdays, and all kinds of celebrations. People who are interested in the service can go to our website to learn more and fill out a customer request form for more information on recommendations, pricing, and steps for booking your event.
People who work with us can expect a unique experience that offers an end-to-end demonstration of the authentic cigar rolling process that provides the ultimate gift of seeing your custom-rolled cigar come to life right in your roller’s hands.
We carry the original tools and display them on a table along with all the types of tobacco leaves that are required to roll a cigar. We roll two different sizes for the events, corona size and robusto size. The purpose of rolling these different sizes is to cover every taste and desire of the smoker. We have Cuban Seed Dominican tobacco for the fillers and Habano 2000 wrappers from Nicaragua. This tobacco is also aged specifically for the occasion. We don’t retail our cigars in any way to guarantee our product is unique to our guest experiences.
We are known for the quality of our cigars and the smooth blend we use, which I proudly developed in memory of my grandpa and mirrors his original style– a tobacco that is perfectly aged to remove acidity and bitterness, creating the same mellow characteristics I admired so much from the wise man I was proud to call my grandpa.
How do you define success?
Defining success can be complicated as it means something different to everyone. Ultimately, it boils down to what your personal priorities are. For me, professional success is being able to do what I love while serving other people’s needs. I find it rewarding to make someone’s life better through my services and am deeply motivated by offering others something that has value to me so it can in turn give value to them. This is a very important aspect of who I am. I’m always willing to give more than I receive to show my gratitude to those who are interested in what I have to offer. That, for me, is the core and definition of success. Everything else will come along.
Contact Info:
- Email: info@cigarsandrollers.com
- Website: www.cigarsandrollers.com
- Instagram: @ruiz_cigarsandrollers
- Facebook: Ruiz Cigars and Rollers
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/ruiz-cigars-and-rollers-austin-2
