FIGURING IT OUT
One man faces adversity during the Global Pandemic and customizes his own American Dream
by Jennifer G. Williams
Doing interviews from a custom, 1971 Airstream Sovereign Trailer-turned Cigar Lounge along the Bozeman Trail in Montana, Brian Hemming reflects on the winding path that led him to living his American Dream.
“I believe people want to find the straight and narrow path to success,” says the Founder of FITFO Custom Cans. “But the path is not straight and narrow — it leads you all over, and definitely has its ups and downs. At certain points, you find yourself questioning your faith in humanity. If you stay the course and embrace the process, things will work out…they may not look how you imagined, but they will work out.”
A few years ago, Hemming had just left the world of college athletics to work with a business consulting firm in Maryland. Then 2020 came along and he was laid off, effectively shutting down his family’s regular source of income.
“Over the last few years, we have all had to figure things out,” he says. “Being unemployed during the Pandemic left us with plenty of free time to think and plan our next move.”
During that time of lockdowns and stay-at-home orders, a neighbor in wealth management approached Hemming with an idea to continue his work as a project manager — but with a twist.
“He knew Erin [Hemming’s wife] and I enjoyed cigars and bourbon and asked if I could host a virtual cigar and bourbon tasting event for 20 of his biggest clients,” he says. “I agreed to take it on and promptly had a ‘Holy Shit! What have I have gotten myself into?’ moment. Confidence has never been my issue but the reality of doing something that we had never done before and the realization that we had three weeks to pull it off seemed a little daunting.”One of the most special cigar lines they carry is Matthew’s own brand, Revival. In collaboration with Brothers Cigar and Tabacalera William Ventura, Matthew made his dream of creating his own brand with his own blends a reality. Revival has three offerings available exclusively at the shop.
Hemming said he leaned into the challenge, connecting with relationships he’d built over the years, and the online event was successful. So successful, in fact, it led to 11 more virtual events, and other opportunities, including in-person events where the need for good, portable humidors became evident.
“People have been thrust into unimaginable situations and felt as though they were left with limited options,” he says. “The first step into the unknown or out of the corner you have been pushed into can be daunting and we had no option but to step out of the corner. They say, ‘the comeback is always greater than the setback’…we are living that right now.
Hemming says he and his wife are active people who like to smoke cigars, and “were tired of carrying our cigars around in a Ziploc bag and praying that they would not dry out or get crushed. So, we started looking for something that was durable, rugged, airtight, and just looked cool.”
“We stumbled across some small and simple options, but knew there was something better,” he explains. “With my background in athletics and always having had the best custom gear, I knew there must be a way to create a more custom piece that was sleek, sturdy, and looked sexy AF. Thus, the idea for FITFO Custom Cans was born.”
Coming from a military family, Hemming had several old ammo cans, and the wheels started turning. Ammo cans are durable, airtight, and designed to keep ammunition dry and ready to use. Hemming took some and developed a process to customize them into portable humidors for himself and his clients.
“We started with a simple and unexciting .50 cal. ammo can and transformed it into a unique, functional, one-of-a-kind statement piece,” he says. “Today, we powder coat the cans with a custom color which we select with our clients and follow up this process with either hand-painted or airbrushed artwork, a laser etched design or a custom decal. The inside of the can has two, custom laser-cut foam trays that hold up to 60+ cigars of different lengths and gauges, and a digital hygrometer so you can check on your cigars to ensure they are properly humidified (we use Boveda humidification packs).”
Taking inspiration from the ammo cans and their military connection, Hemming borrowed a favorite military acronym and attitude to symbolize his family’s determination to succeed in this new business venture. “Given the world events of the last few years, we have all had to Figure It The F**K out (FITFO) … it seemed like a natural fit. Our family had to FITFO and adapt to the situation before us in order to survive. Was it easy to do? NO! We were thrown into an uncertain situation, but we were able to stay positive, focus forward, and figure it the f***k out.”
IT TAKES A VILLAGE
Hemming recognizes that several people and companies helped him on his path to FITFO Custom Cans, and says he is forever grateful for their encouragement, advice, and support.
“Thanks to Finnie and her team at Humidor Cigar Shoppe in Cockeysville, Maryland, [our first virtual event] was a triumph!” he says. “Matt Booth from Room 101 was generous with his time for our first event which resulted in it being a huge success and lead to other brands getting involved with our events. We will always be thankful for Nick and Foundation Cigars, Christian from C.L.E., and Omar and Fratello for giving their time and helping us find our path. The positive reception for these events gave us focus and a sense of purpose, reinforcing that we were heading in the right direction and not just stumbling around in the dark hoping things would get better.”
After connecting with a lot of people and evolving to create the FITFO Custom Cans niche, Hemming decided to give back. He creates his custom cigar cans and auctions them off to support military organizations. He also is excited to have his family’s support and even includes his three children, ages 5-10, in the day-today operations of the company.
“So here we are ‘FITFOing’ it every day and chasing our American dream,” he says. “Connecting with great people, creating unique and special legacy pieces for them, and having a hell of a lot fun of doing it. Through this adventure, we have met some amazing people, heard their stories, and been entrusted to make their custom can. Who knew that this step into the unknown would lead us across the country to Belgrade, Montana? Now we are closer to our family’s roots and have built an unbelievable team that includes our three children, as well as some amazingly talented and creative people from this area.”
“For us, FITFO Custom Cans is not just a catchy acronym or name for a kick ass business— it is an attitude, a mindset, an ability to stay the course, and the resolve to own the situation and make the best of it no matter what,” says Hemming. “Is life perfect now and is every day filled with rainbows and roses? Hell no. But it is damn good, and we are thankful for the people we have met, the opportunities we have had, and are looking forward to what comes next!”
Visit FITFO Custom Cans for more information on Hemming and his custom cigar cans.
THE TIMBERLINE LOUNGE
After moving his family to Montana to be closer to their family’s roots, Hemming linked up with other cigar enthusiasts and joined a private, members-only cigar lounge from which he enjoys doing business meetings or interviews.
The Timberline Lounge, crafted from a 1971 Airstream Sovereign Trailer, is located on the Rockin’ TJ Ranch in the historic Gallatin Valley of Montana. It is a sister cigar lounge to one in Washington state, part of the Tin Can Cigar Company.
Cigar lovers can buy various levels of membership, browse the humidor inside and socialize or get things done inside the renovated RV.
Visit The Timberline Lounge for more information on this unique experience.
