About

Cory Carnley, a resident of Gainesville, is a Florida native, tobacconist, and travel blogger. He also has hospitality industry expertise, including as a bartender.

He has recently used his marketing and entrepreneurial skills to turn his passion for travel into a business. During his journeys, he continues his love for premium cigars and tobacco.

Travel Blogging

One day, Cory Carnley decided to take a trip. He packed his bags and began the adventure, supporting himself with freelance writing and photography projects. He realized that he was passionate about travel, especially domestic travel. He started a travel blog in which he describes his travel adventures and how he has monetized the blog to provide sufficient income for him to continue to travel. He has traveled to 44 of the 50 states and plans to visit those he's missed soon. The Florida native takes photographs and blogs throughout all his travel adventures.

He believes travel is essential to his goal of lifelong education. Seeing new places broadens and changes his perspective. His penchant for domestic travel has left him with a new appreciation for the United States and its history and geography. He encourages others to broaden their outlook and learn new things through their travel adventures.

Love of Tobacco

When Cory Carnley turned 18, he smoked a cigar to celebrate. He enjoyed the experience and decided to make learning about tobacco and fine cigars part of his life's work.

He continued his education through research and experimentation, broadening his knowledge to include premium cigars and cigarillos, "gas station cigarillos," chewing tobacco, cigarettes, dipping tobacco, hookahs, nasal snuff, pipes, and pipe tobacco.

His education enabled him to earn a tobacconist certification. Tobacconist certifications cultivate an excellent appreciation for luxury cigars and enable the holder to guide others through choosing their first cigar and determining their preferences. Luxury cigars are often appreciated alongside fine wines or liquors, so he later broadened his education to earn certifications in bartending and responsible vending.

Advocacy Work

Carnley's love for premium cigars led him to become the youngest member of Cigar Rights of America, a lobbying organization for the premium cigar industry. The consumer-based group fights to protect the rights of individuals to enjoy hand-rolled cigars and for manufacturers and growers to produce them. The organization also updates members on legislative initiatives, new products, and events and provides information on the best lounges and cigar shops.

Carnley believes Cigar Rights of America is an important organization and that young adults have a crucial role to play within it. The more young adults who join, the greater the organization's clout with legislators and the public. He also thinks the organization offers a unique service to cigar enthusiasts by allowing them to gather and discuss their cigar hobby.

Professional Skills and Experience

Carnley's passions have allowed him to develop a strong portfolio of professional skills.

Entrepreneurial

Cory Carnley built his passion for domestic travel into an income-producing business through intelligence, hard work, and determination. He has become an expert in digital marketing, using techniques such as affiliate marketing, search engine optimization, guest posts, sponsored linking, Youtube videos, and gaining backlinks through media interviews.

Tobacco and Hospitality

Carnley's certifications make him well suited to a career in a luxury establishment that offers luxury cigar experiences and alcohol. His tobacconist training allows him to provide excellent customer service to experienced and novice cigar smokers. It also gives him the knowledge to know which accouterments to sell alongside the cigars and how to advise customers on skills such as how to blend and store tobacco.

The bartending and responsible vending certifications complement the tobacconist certification. Responsible vending refers to alcohol sales practices such as avoiding selling to underaged persons and preventing drunken driving. Establishments that practice responsible vending may be eligible for insurance reductions in Florida.

Finally, his ability to become an expert in domestic travel, tobacco, and alcohol sales, primarily based on his research and experience, demonstrates a drive to succeed and continually learn. Drive and constant learning are keys to success in many industries.

Giving Back

Cory Carnley gives back to society through his willingness to easily share the knowledge he's gained through hard work. He takes great pleasure in teaching others to enjoy premium cigars. He is also quick to share the joys of traveling with others and encourages them to explore independently. Finally, he openly shares tips with his readers on how they can turn a passion for travel -- or any pursuit - into an online moneymaking venture.