Meet Sedrick Dunson: Founder, Owner and Creator of Phat Ash

We had the good fortune of connecting with Sedrick Dunson and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Sedrick, the decisions we make often shape our story in profound ways. What was one of the most difficult decisions you’ve had to make?
The most difficult decision I’ve made was quitting my job without being a major financial contribution to our household and going on the road with my wife, Danielle. My wife is an IT Consultant. For the past 6 years, she would contracts that would take other states where she would leave home on Sunday and return on Thursday. When our youngest son left home to attend college, we decided that I would accompany her on the road. I quit my job and begin the Phat Ash Brand. With her support, I was able to brand and market the Phat Ash brand for the past 1 year and 10 months. I stepped out on faith and with the belief that I had a brand that would make an impact in the cigar community. Although the decision was difficult, I feel that it has contributed the brand to have a certain amount of success in a short period of time.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I have a Business Management degree with a concentration in Marketing from NC State University in Raleigh, NC. I also have over 25 years of Sales experience. I felt that the things that I have learned from my sales experience has contributed to the success of the Phat Ash Brand. Sales is not an easy career. It requires hearing a lot of “No” to get to a “yes.” However, there are certain habits and matrix that a sales professional has to do to be successful. Therefore, being successful comes with being consistent and constantly putting the brand in front of your potential customer. While branding your product, you have to have a great quality product and great customer service. I feel that the Phat Ash Product line has great quality and I try to exceed my customers expectations when it comes to service. The challenging part is staying relevant and keep the brand in front of my audience. Additionally, I have always wanted to create a family atmosphere with the brand. You will find that in my Facebook group, Phat Ash. We currently have over 10,000 members since March 17, 2019. Phat Ash is more than brand, we are a family.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
If my best friend was visiting Atlanta, I would take her on a cigar lounge tour to visit some of the lounges in the city. There are many awesome cigar lounges in the city, therefore, we would not be able to visit them all. On Friday, we would start on the East side of town and visit the Humidor because we can grab some good food. Then we would stop by Robusto’s Tobacco House to enjoy family atmosphere. Then we would go Leaf Life for Flash Back Fridays featuring DJ Kelz. Saturday we would visit Acere, The Patio, Kings Cigar Lounge and Cigaros because they are close to the house. On Sunday we would spend the day chilling at the Phat Ash Lounge which is the cigar lounge at my house.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I owe my wife, Danielle an extreme amount of credit because without her the brand would be as successful as it is in a short period of time. Even though she is not very visible, she is behind the scene offering suggestions and support, financial and emotion. She has given me the opportunity to grow the Phat Ash and doing some consulting projects with a couple companies. She is definitely deserving of big, THANK YOU!

Website: www.phatashcollection.com
Instagram: @phatashcollection
Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/sedrick-dunson-6607533
Twitter: @phatashcollect1
Facebook: Sedrick Dunson
Other: FB Group – Phat Ash FB Page – Phat Ash

Image Credits
Photo Credit David Evans of David Evans Photography