190 | How a Podcast Grew an E-commerce Shop with David Garofalo

If you want to grow your e-commerce or retail sales–or you happen to be a cigar lover–this episode is for you!

David Garofalo is the owner of Two Guys Smoke Shop, the largest independently owned and operated cigar retailer in the world. He’s also the host of The Cigar Authority Podcast and author of the book David vs. Goliath: How to Compete and Beat the Online Giant. David’s other business ventures include 21 Podcast Café, where he helps promote and market other small businesses, and United Cigar, a B2B cigar wholesaler and U.S. Distributor. 

A Business Built to Last

David founded Two Guys Smoke Shop in 1985 and now has three generations of family who work with him. Aside from their brick-and-mortar locations, they also run a thriving e-commerce business. 

Google and Facebook have made it difficult to run cigar advertisements, so David turned to podcasting. Over a decade later, The Cigar Authority is the longest-running and most listened-to cigar podcast in the world. It also grew their online sales exponentially–which saved the company during COVID-19. 

Having survived both the pandemic and the 2008 recession, David’s mission is to pay it forward by helping other retailers survive tough times.

Stand Out From the Crowd

David’s biggest piece of advice for business owners is not to copy other brands. Find your own thing, whether it’s your customer experience, a new marketing angle, or the products you offer. When each business is unique, there’s room for everyone.

Another way to stand out from competitors is through great customer service. These days, quality service is rare, and people remember a positive experience–especially in retail. Online retailers can offer better pricing, free shipping, and the convenience factor, so you need to provide something they can’t: human connection. Give people an experience to remember when they come into your store.

Enjoy this episode with entrepreneur David Garofalo…

Soundbytes

26:32-26:48
“I started podcasting in 2010. Those were the days I had to show people, ‘Here’s what a podcast is’. No one knew what it was. I did that to help my brick-and-mortar retail, but what it really did was help my online sales.”

32:41-33:20
“I went right to work, I didn’t go to college. I was actually pretty bad in school also. I was a C-D student. I tried, it was always A for effort but I couldn’t take a test well. I got into the cigar business, I became an expert as fast as I possibly could. That little cigar boom I told you about happened. And I got a call one day from Harvard University…and they said, ‘We’d like you as a speaker at Harvard University. I said, ‘You’ve got to be kidding me.’”

40:32-40:56
“Don’t try to be me. Don’t try to do that, because you’re not going to be as good at being me as I am. So figure out another way to do it. There can be all kinds of restaurants down the street, they all make it. But if one is doing the exact same thing as the other, they can either split the business or one gets the crumbs from the other. You just can’t do it, so come up with your own thing.”

Quotes

“You need to love what you do and be passionate about it, especially as a salesperson.” 

“I didn’t go to college. I was actually pretty bad in school...but I got into the cigar business, I became an expert as fast as I possibly could. And I got a call one day from Harvard University…and they said, ‘We’d like you as a speaker at Harvard University.’”

“I’m going to help other retailers for the rest of my life. Because I’ve gone through tough times like everybody else has.”

“Do something different. Make a splash.”

“The people that say, ‘Dave you’re very lucky,’ don’t know me. They don’t know how hard I worked. Because luck had nothing to do with it. The harder I worked, the luckier I got.”

Links mentioned in this episode:

Visit David’s website: http://DavidGarofalo.com 

2 Guys Cigars: http://2GuysCigars.com 

The Cigar Authority:  https://thecigarauthority.com

David vs. Goliath: How to Compete and Beat the Online Giant: https://store.bookbaby.com/bookshop/book/index.aspx?bookURL=David-vs-Goliath&b=c_bu-bu-bl