Meet Dantley J Tillman | Creator, Black Box Cigar Club, LLC

We had the good fortune of connecting with Dantley J Tillman and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Dantley, Let’s talk about principles and values – what matters to you most?
People.  It may seem odd to say that people are a value or principle, but that’s my motivation, the driving force behind everything I do.  I want to enhance the lives of people in the communities I belong to.  In order to do that I make sure that I value every relationship, and that my village values me as well. If we don’t mutually respect and honor each other, then the relationship needs to be reevaluated. Consequently, I live by the principle of treating others the way that I want to be treated.  I aspire to inspire; I try to encourage every person I encounter to feel better than they did beforehand. Some companies that I call find it unusual that I not only ask how they’re doing, but that I also wait for a response.  I really want to know how they’re feeling, and what I can do to help put a smile on their face.  Conversations are a lot more pleasant when you sincerely treat everyone as a person first.

What should our readers know about your business?
My business is Black Box Cigar Club, LLC.  Our primary product is a cigar subscription service that focuses on boutique premium cigars (the little guy). There’s no other cigar subscription service doing this. We give our subscriber base, which spans every state, as well as over 20 countries so far, a chance to experience premium cigars that they wouldn’t otherwise have access to. Our primary customers are fathers, businessmen, golfers, influencers, podcast hosts, lounge owners, cigar aficionados and new hobbyists.  But we are most proud of the relationships we have with our family of factories and over 200 boutique brands that we feature monthly.  We work with several factories in the Dominican Republic, Honduras, Nicaragua, Cameroon and  Cuba, securing tobacco from those regions as well as Connecticut, Argentina, Brazil, Ecuador, Indonesia and Zimbabwe to name a few.

Although not an easy road, our mission is to find the best tobacco for our subscriber family to experience.  Early on in this endeavor, we were not welcomed into the factories and many brand owners didn’t understand our mission.  We did not have favorable name recognition and instead many were hesitant to be associated with “the new kid on the block”.  Yet we maintained our footing on unchartered territory, overcoming these obstacles by sending out samples of our branding to every prospective factory along with an explanation of our mission.  We remained committed and consistent.  As we built our social media presence, more factories and brands took notice.  We started getting calls and requests to have their new releases featured in our box.  We contribute this to our family of subscribers. They are the best; posting their boxes and cigars often, which causes people to take notice. They literally put their money where their mouths are; the more they post, the more relationships we gain and the more diversified tobacco they get to experience.

What I want the world to know about Black Box Cigar Club, is that it was created out of a passion for cigars.  Before our extended family of subscribers, the business was birthed throughout my military and personal travels.  I would always find a local cigar lounge and when I discovered a great cigar, I would buy a box and send them back home to my cigar smoking friends.  It took me over 20 years to realize that this could be a business.  All has worked together for good; the timing is perfect and excellent right now for cigar lovers.  There has been an emergence in the culture and the guard is changing.  We have multiple demographics who are now smoking cigars and simultaneously dictating in which direction the industry goes.  We have more creative bands on cigars that appeal to a more “hipster” type of crowd.  Here at Black Box Cigar Club, we have a “Culture Series” which consists of cigars rolled with tobacco from some of the best factories you’ve never heard of. We adorn these gems with bands from our favorite childhood movies and television shows to pay homage to “Our Culture.” These are blends proprietary to Black Box Cigar Club.

Looking back we realize that along with the dream, a plan must exist. Tobacco products can’t run ads on most major networks due to tobacco restrictions, so we rely 100% on SEO and our subscribers posts and word of mouth.  We are indeed a family business.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
We would start the day at Sip-N-Savor for coffee with owner “Trez” Pugh.  It’s a great atmosphere and great people.  We would then head over to Valois Restaurant, which is designated as President Obama’s favorite Breakfast spot.  With Chicago having one of the best skylines in the country, we would take a stroll along the lake before heading to Ja’Grill for lunch on Harper Court in Hyde Park. We’d patronize Elements Cigar Lounge in Highland, IN, meet owners Marq and Melissa, and smoke some exquisite cigars.  It’s a fairly new lounge with a top notch atmosphere and a ventilation system that is second to none. If you want to sneak in a cigar before you go home without your significant other knowing– this is the place to be.

Finally, we’d dine at “Virtue” Restaurant, home of James Beard’s award winning chef , Eric Williams.  Ever occupied and exclusively opulent, reservations are strongly recommended.  Let’s not forget visiting the local art galleries in the Bronzeville area, especially “Blanc” where you can see my fraternity brother Bryant (BJ) Johnson’s artwork.  We’d stop by Kimbark Liquors with owner John Swain to grab a bottle of “Den of Thieves” to go with our cigars, and then hit up

The Silver Room Block Party in July, where the likes of Busta Rhymes, DJ Jazzy Jeff and others have performed.  Chicago is known for its house music and “The Chosen Few” house picnic is the must-attend, mecca event of the summer. Thousands come out, set up tents and grills, and enjoy fellowship, cigars and “House Music All Night Long.”

Why did I name the places and people I did?  Well I previously mentioned that it’s all about community and pouring into your village.  All of these businesses are committed to giving back to their communities whether volunteering their time, their space and/or giving of their finances and resources.  They know and accept the charge of giving back.  So do we at Black Box Cigar Club…and I’m not just blowing smoke.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I give credit to my friends and family for supporting my vision and allowing me to “fail big” at times while still offering their unbiased feedback and support. Without those failures, lessons and support, Black Box Cigar Club wouldn’t be experiencing the success we are today.  Reggie Jackson struck out 2600 times in his career, the most in the history of baseball. No one remembers or hears about the strikeouts. That taught me that it’s ok to fail, as long as you keep trying.  Be committed and consistent.  And of course in everything and for everything I give thanks to God.

Website: BlackBoxCigarClub.com

Instagram: @blackboxcigarclub

Facebook: BlackBox CigarClub

Image Credits
Tykeith Nelson