&
THE MARRIAGE OF
Cigars Vodka
Written by Richard Stewart
UNDERSTANDING THE BUSINESS OF MARRIAGE Regi and Pamela Myles are, in many ways, the quintessential definition of the term “Power Couple.” As the owner/founders of Jerome Renee Premium Cigars and Vodka, they know a thing about teamwork, communication, trust, and, well… Cigars and Vodka! When it comes to how they got started, Regi gives all credit to his wife, Pamela. “It was her idea. She did all the research for it. We were both Vodka drinkers, but we couldn't find anything on the market that we enjoyed. We like it neat, like most vodka connoisseurs. We couldn’t find anything that didn’t leave us with headaches, calling in sick the next day. Pam came to me and said, 'Hey, I want to start my own Vodka brand!'"
12 | GAME CHANGERS MAGAZINE
This decision would be as positively fateful as it is groundbreaking. Pamela is the only Black female vodka brand owner in the entire state of Georgia.
Although it has been a swift rise, the couple has faced their fair share of challenges on the road to success. Everything from being seen as “too small” a company to distill, distribute, and sell their own product, to being questioned on their knowledge of liquor laws when it came to selling their liquor in stores. "How can you sell liquor and not know the liquor laws?" Regi asks incredulously. Like any self-respecting fast starter, Pam had already done the research to begin the process when she first had the idea to create her own vodka brand. “This is my brand, and these are OUR brands as well, so we are top to bottom the brand, the sales, the distributors—we are the ambassadors. We represent our brands from top to bottom. I don’t want to put our brands in someone else’s hands. This is our baby; these are our products that we've put everything into. We are the ones who will care for how they are represented in the brand's image—for ourselves and for the community.”