Finally, Go Bucks week is here!

Warning: This thread is about bourbon and cigars.

As our older daughter was finishing her Senior year at Miami University (in Ohio) she was making plans to start her career (in Marketing and Professional Writing) in Chicago. She had an inside track with a prestigious firm and was excited to enter the professional world.

And then COVID hit.

The company she was headed for laid off 15% of their workforce and the program was mothballed until further notice. So, Sarah had to do the one thing she swore she would never do: return to her Ohio county of origin and move back in with mom and dad.

Now, in full disclosure, her mother and I did not mind the temporary detour: we actually like Sarah very much and appreciated her close proximity, for the time being.  Besides, Chicago was literally on fire, and we knew she was safer with us.  What we did not like was shared by all: she was stuck in “Nowhere-ville” amongst the corn and beans. The promise to launch was at least deferred for several months and all her professional ambitions were put on hold.

She was sad. We were sad (sort of, although we liked her company, we knew she wasn’t going to truly launch until she found her place).

Anyway, Sarah and I were having a long, contemplative cigar conversation on the front porch (our best conversations are always over cigars) when I asked her the question: “Sarah, what do you want to do?” She had a nice bit of money saved up and she wasn’t scared of new adventures, but her apparent path forward was a non-starter. We talked a bit more, but she decided she needed more time to think about the answer.

Two days later, she had her answer: "I want to open a bourbon and cigar establishment!"  Well, okay then!  Now, she knew she did not have the knowledge it took to run either a cigar shop or a bourbon shop. And, although I understand business, neither of us understood the cigar or the bourbon business.  Also, we didn’t have the stacks of capital needed to open such an establishment.  So, Sarah did the next thing she could do given her resources: she started listening to a podcast about cigars: The Cigar Authority, the nation’s longest running cigar podcast.

She became a cigar expert overnight (not really, but she loved learning about the nuances of the industry, the growing and aging of the tobacco, and the intricate details that go into making premium cigars.) Three days into listening, she called the show and asked how women can break into the cigar industry, an industry that is dominated by men.  And they used her question on the “After-show”.  The whole show was about her question.  

This is where it gets interesting: Jokingly, one of the guys on the Cigar Authority Podcast said, “Hey Sarah, send us your resume and we’ll hire you!”

Welp, she did.  And they did.

Long story short: we took a trip to New Hampshire to find her an apartment and to meet the owner of 2 Guys Cigars (the largest, premium cigar distributor in the United States).  She was hired that day.  Now, she works in sales to learn about the product AND she produces a spin-off podcast called The Ash-holes (the name was established before she got there). She’s having a blast and doing something she loves.  She said (at the green age of 22), “Dad, I am actually in a job that doesn’t feel like working.  I thought it was a myth but here I am!”  Her mother and I are immensely proud of her.

The reason I’m sharing this story here is simple: since this is the opening week of Buckeye football, she is going to give a big shout-out to the Buckeyes and to 11 warriors on the podcast tomorrow, at 4:00pm. This will likely be the first of many.

So, tune in and light up. The Buckeyes are taking over New Hampshire.  Sarah from Ohio is leading the charge!

Go Bucks!

Here's a link to the Cigar Authority Podcast: https://thecigarauthority.com/cigar-radio-show/
Check out the July 18th podcast where they talk about Sarah's journey (I think I cued it up correctly) :

And the subsequent After-Show interview: https://thecigarauthority.com/the-after-show-does-a-live-job-interview/

Here's a link to her story on the Ash-holes:

And their site: https://theashholes.net/

The Ash-holes is on every Tuesday at 4:00pm. Her shout-out will happen on tomorrow's show. You can follow them live on Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/AshHolesRadio

God Bless and Go Bucks!