Check Out Brian Desind’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Brian Desind.

Hi Brian, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.

Privada Cigar Club started the old fashioned way. On foot. Often in Little Havana. With curiosity and respect.

Before there were warehouses and millions of cigars aging quietly in coolers Brian Desind was walking Calle Ocho buying unbranded cigars rolled by Cuban legends who had spent their lives at the table. No bands. No marketing. Just tobacco and hands that knew what they were doing. Miami was one of his classrooms. The manufacturers were the teachers.

Those early purchases were not about building a business. They were about learning. Understanding how soil aging fermentation and time shape flavor. Seeing how the same leaf could become something completely different depending on who touched it and how long it was allowed to rest.

What Brian realized quickly was that some of the best cigars in the world were never meant to be famous. They were made quietly. Smoked quietly. Forgotten quietly. That became the mission. Find them. Age them properly. Tell their story honestly. Then share them with people who cared enough to notice the difference.

Privada Cigar Club was born from that Miami sidewalk mindset. A cigar hunters approach rooted in Little Havana culture but aimed at preserving rare cigars from all over the world. Miami was not just the starting point. It was the filter. If a cigar could not earn its respect there it did not belong anywhere.

Today Privada is known globally but its DNA still has Calle Ocho all over it.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
As Privada Cigar Club began to grow, the biggest obstacle was not tobacco. It was the industry itself.

The premium cigar business is built on long standing trade organizations, legacy retail models, and unwritten rules about who gets access and who does not. Privada entered as a direct to consumer club at a time when that model was still viewed as disruptive and threatening. Being the new kid meant immediate scrutiny.

Trade groups and established players pushed back hard. Questions about sourcing, distribution rights, and marketing practices became pressure points. What might have been handled quietly for a legacy brand became public friction for a newcomer. Privada found itself in the middle of a broader industry fight about control, relevance, and who the modern cigar consumer actually belonged to.

The conflict was not just about cigars. It was about power. Who tells the story. Who reaches the customer. Who decides what is acceptable in a category rooted in tradition but facing a changing world.

Rather than retreat, Brian Desind leaned into the tension. Privada stayed independent, doubled down on transparency, and continued building relationships directly with factories and consumers. The resistance from trade organizations did not slow the club down. It defined it. Privada did not ask permission to exist. It proved it deserved to.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
Brian Desind is not a figurehead. He is the engine.

At Privada Cigar Club, Brian’s real role is cigar hunter, curator, and storyteller. He sources cigars directly from factories, farms, and private inventories across multiple countries, often uncovering blends that were never intended for mass release. He controls aging decisions, blend timing, and determines when a cigar is truly ready to be shared.

Brian also oversees the cigar band art and visual identity. Each band is treated as part of the cigar’s story, not decoration. He works closely on concepts, symbolism, typography, and historical references so the band reflects the origin, mood, and intent of the cigar inside. In many cases, the band is the first chapter of the story he wants the smoker to experience.

Beyond the tobacco and the art, Brian shapes the voice of the brand. He writes the narratives, frames the history, and connects each cigar to a place, a moment, or a person. He bridges old world craftsmanship with a modern audience, translating a complex industry into something accessible without watering it down.

In short, Brian finds what others miss, protects its integrity, gives it a face, and tells its story honestly. Everything else in the organization is built around that core.

Networking and finding a mentor can have such a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?
Simply begin. Do not wait. Even if at the smallest scale. Begin and you shall find other likeminded people which will lead you to the relationships you want to develop that will help your story unravel.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://privadacigarclub.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/privadacigarclub/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/PrivadaCigarClub?app=desktop

Image Credits
https://www.instagram.com/johnnytaquitos/