Meet Reza Bavar of Kaloud in West Hollywood

Today we’d like to introduce you to Reza Bavar.

Reza, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I was inspired to be an Entrepreneur by my father.

Though he never really broke through, I watched him try his hand at businesses ranging from hotels and small grocery stores to medical supply and printing business. He never gave up. For me, that lesson has been invaluable.

Like most Entrepreneurs, I got started very early on in life. It’s almost a cliché, but my first solo venture was a bike route in my hometown when I was 12 years-old. By the time I was 19 I started my first true company, Imagination Graphix and experienced the first of many lessons taught through what people call failure, but what I call tenacity.

By the time I founded Kaloud in 2011, I started six businesses. Some of them were exquisite disasters while others lacked the gravity to capture the will necessary to sustain and grow a business.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Along with my journey, I fell into a common trap–I equated success with money. Don’t get me wrong, money is important for any business, but my mistake, and maybe others’, was that I made it the sole motivating force for doing what I was doing.

In 2008 I founded a law firm and quickly found myself depressed, overweight, and struggling with an internal pain so intense I wished for death almost every waking hour. I masked my suffering by chasing after the things I thought would finally give me peace. I got the hot sports car, I had a beautiful girlfriend (that I cheated on0, I ate at the best restaurants, traveled to the best places, and rose to lead other Entrepreneurs. But none of this could soothe the pain I felt. By my 35th birthday in September 2009 I was 200 lbs (I’m 5’8″), sleeping until 11 am, surrounded by people but utterly alone, and miserable. I hated myself and, therefore, my life.

Something had to change and it was around this time that I had a dream that I had a company that made custom Hookahs. I decided to pursue that dream. However, unlike my other businesses, I realized that this may be my last chance to really make what I always wanted; what I wanted in my heart.

It was in this chaos that Kaloud was born…

As part of the process of starting Kaloud, I lost everything. Every dime I had. Every opportunity I had worked to develop. My license to practice law (I was disbarred for taking money from my client-trust account [if you’re curious the transcript of my disbarment is at http://www.calbar.ca.gov/). Almost all of my friends. My status among my peers. My identity.

At my lowest point, I had around $21 to my name. I spent $17 to buy food for my dog Charlie, and the rest to buy beans so I could make beans and rice to eat for that week. My phone was disconnected, I didn’t have gas in my car, and I was quickly approaching the point where I would be evicted from my apartment. I had borrowed all the money I could from friends and family, and I was no longer practicing law, so I pawned the only things of value I had (two watches and a pen) to make ends meet. Strangely though, I felt a kind of peace interspersed through the ocean of terror I found myself swimming in.

Somehow, right when there was no more to burn away, I came up with the idea for a powdered flavor and filtration enhancer for the water in Hookah bases called “Kaloud Pure.” In 2011 Kaloud made $2,685.22, which for me was miraculous considering I was essentially destitute.

In 2012, I invented the “Kaloud Lotus”, a product that truly revolutionized our industry, and I coined the phrase “Heat Management Device” to describe it. Kaloud launched the Kaloud Lotus in December 2012, and by the end of 2013, I realized there was something there.

Since then, we’ve launched other products and fought against counterfeiters and patent infringers. Heat Management Device is now a product category within our industry, and the Kaloud brand is famous worldwide. In 2018 we’re poised to launch our masterpiece, the “Kaloud Krysalis”, a product which I believe will change everything all over again.

Kaloud – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
Today Kaloud is in the business of inventing and developing products for Hookahs. Our goal is to make Hookah use less harmful, more flavorful, and easier to use.

We’re proud of our inventiveness and design for sure, but I think we’re even more proud of the relationships we build with our Tribe. We’re well known for our exceptional customer service and for me that will always be important.

I believe we’re seen as leaders within our industry and it is fair to assume that if we launch something new all eyes are on us to see what the future holds.

What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
The proudest moment in my career so far has been the slow steady way I’ve paid off loans friends and family made to me when I was at my lowest and when I needed help, but was too proud to ask for it. Aside from that, I’d have to say I feel tremendous pride every time someone tells me how much they love the products we make.

Contact Info:

• Address: 8391 Beverly Blvd. No. 441 Los Angeles, CA 90048
• Website: https://kaloud.com/
• Phone: 3108532108
• Email: interact@kaloud.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kaloud
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KaloudInc
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/kaloudinc

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