Today we’d like to introduce you to Jack Ambriz.
Hi Jack, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I think it’s important to note that I’m not from the states and this in my opinion gave me a bit of an advantage. It put me in a position from a young age to self-learn, and that’s what I’ve done my entire life. I realized from a very young age how fortunate I was to be growing up in a country where opportunities are limitless. I went from designing aftermarket parts for luxury cars to creating media for luxury brands, to now co-founding and advising luxury brands. I’ve always strived to create and always aim for perfection, while not always possible, I try my best!
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I don’t think any road is very smooth, when you zoom out and see other people’s lives and successes you might imagine it is, but the reality of it is that it isn’t. Everyone goes through it before breaking through. I’ve had many failures, but those have also turned out to be the biggest lessons and blessings life has offered me. I’ve always been a big believer that life happens for you, so any situation you might think unfair actually has a very valuable lesson behind it. You just have to know how to control and process your emotions before making any decisions that can make things more difficult for you, and you also have to learn to stick to your decisions and see them through. I made a life-changing decision when I realized that school wasn’t really my thing, based on what I already shared, since I was a kid I had been self-learning so I always felt very bored and unchallenged. When it came down to college that hadn’t changed, I realized that my biggest advantage was my passion to learn about things I truly cared about and that’s what I sought, but not what my parents wanted for their kid.
So in the midst of making the decision to drop out, seeking my own knowledge to pave my own way, I had to also balance the relationship with my parents who had sacrificed everything to try and give me a shot at becoming a professional. Not Easy. It was very energy-draining because I was able to see their side, but they weren’t able to see mine. They thought I was a lunatic! Regardless, I kept on pushing without looking back until my actions spoke louder than my words and my mission was clear to not only them but everyone. There have been many other challenges, such as failed ideas, losing money, losing old friends, wasted time, you know typical things that happen along the way, but I think that’s the one that was the most challenging for me, and I think a lot of people go through that and often don’t know what to do. If that’s you, bet on yourself and see it through!
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I’ve always been more creative, I love to build things. My entire working life was always around building things. I used to build and design aftermarket parts for luxury cars, mostly exotics and a few hypercars. When I wanted to make a career change, I got into photography and that led to learning about marketing, which led to consulting different brands. Most of my work has been focused on luxury brands. I’ve worked with a handful of startups to build their brand from conception and it’s resulted in earned equity which allowed me to transition more into business development roles and start my own brands.
In trying to solve problems from industries I’ve been a part of, I started, with the help of partners, a cigar subscription under the name of Unicorn Hunters Club, this allows beginners and aficionados to expand their palate with a great selection of cigars without having to pay retail prices for them. I’m really proud of our branding for this because it’s so different from what you would think cigars would be. We have a cute little angry unicorn as our logo and our bags are pink, I think this makes it so fun and easy to market in an industry that doesn’t allow you to market at all. It’s definitely something you have to check out if you’re thinking about exploring the world of cigars. My goal is to continue growing this community and make this a lifestyle-brand penetrating different markets that all cigar smokers are part of and making the industry more approachable to people, especially women!
I’m also very proud of my role as a founding member of a very promising tequila brand, OTACA. The story we have curated and the passion behind the project have been so refreshing to an industry that is being flooded with celebrity names and labels. OTACA stands for Once Tried Always Craved Agave because we are certain that once you try it, it’s something you’re going to crave. Being from Mexico myself and growing up in that culture gave me tons of inspiration when designing the bottle and finalizing our brand kit. The goal was to create something that was simple yet very luxurious and I think we succeeded. In the first year of business, we have received 6 awards from world-known competitions, 4 double golds, and 2 golds, we have also been able to secure over 400 accounts across the state of CA, including some of the biggest restaurant and retail chains. We have plans to expand to AZ, FL, NV, NY, and CO. So if you’re looking for some of the smoothest tequila that is additive-free, OTACA is the answer!
We’re always looking for the lessons that can be learned in any situation, including tragic ones like the Covid-19 crisis. Are there any lessons you’ve learned that you can share?
The pandemic really thought me to trust myself and not panic, there was so much noise going on during that time, and many people sided with fear which resulted in a lot of unwanted results. It also thought me to simplify my life, and to worry about things that truly matter family, friends, and health. Everything else is just a bonus. I used to be really consumed in my work, I wouldn’t “have the time” but really I just hadn’t prioritized it. Something I think many people learned from the pandemic.
Pricing:
- UHC Diamond Subscription $79/Month
- UHC Gold Subscription $59/Month
- OTACA 750ml Bottle $75.00
Contact Info:
- Website: https://linktr.ee/zirbmaa
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zirbmaa/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/zirbmaa
