I write every word you read here, every story, every thought, every review, and every reflection, but I use AI tools to help me organize, edit, and clarify my writing.
After serving in the U.S. Navy and fighting through years of anxiety, depression, and the kind of mental fog that can twist even simple thoughts into knots, I learned that writing helps me process and heal. But not every day is clear. Some days the ideas come fast, the words come slow, and my head feels like a crowded room. That’s where technology comes in, not to replace my voice, but to help me sharpen it.
AI, when used the right way, is just another tool, no different than a spellchecker, a grammar program, or a good editor who helps you polish your message. It doesn’t invent my stories, it doesn’t feed me lines, and it doesn’t fake emotion. It helps me take the scrambled mess that sometimes lives in my head and line it up in a way that actually makes sense to the reader. It’s structure, not substitution.
And here’s the thing, I didn’t have to tell you this. There’s no legal or ethical rule that says I owe anyone this level of honesty. But I wanted you to know anyway. Because the point of Bearded Cigar Lover has never been about pretending. It’s about real people, real stories, and real conversations. If I’m going to tell you the truth about cigars, culture, and the industry, then I owe you the same truth about me.
When I write about boutique cigars, I’m not just talking about the brands, customers, and boutique industry, I’m telling a story. The story of a maker who pours his soul into a blend. The story of the rollers who take pride in every leaf they touch. The story of the lounges that keep this culture alive. And the story of the customers, people like us, who light up not just for the smoke, but for the connection, the calm, and the moment it creates.
That’s why I use every tool I can to get it right. To make sure every post, every review, and every conversation truly reflects the respect I have for this craft and this community. Because you deserve clarity, not chaos. And if being open about how I get there helps even one other person realize that tools can build, not replace, authenticity, then this honesty was worth it.