Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to James Sims. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Alright, James thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. How did you come up with the idea for your business?
I attended an event where I met cigar smokers. They were discussing how there wasn’t a cigar or smoke shop close to the location of the event. It gave me an idea of what if a cigar or smoke shop could come to any event and service the needs and interests of cigar smokers. From the novice to the most experienced cigar smoker. I had imagined before this experience I would open a cigar lounge, however the cigar smokers at the event changed my mind. I began researching and asking questions to cigar smokers to get their feedback on the idea of a mobile smoke shop. I was fortunate to meet a gentleman who had an established mobile cigar lounge in Florida via a mutual friend. I connected with him and he provided insight that confirmed I was on the right track to launch a mobile smoke shop. He agreed to mentor me and I executed my plan. I launched the business on July 16, 2021 with no regrets. We have offerings for almost every event budget. Outdoor cigar lounge setups, cigar concierge bar service, cigar hand rolling, classes pertaining to cigars, and custom cigar bands. We enjoy working with individuals, corporations, and non-profit organizations.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
I grew up in Detroit, Michigan. I served my country for 20 years and 4 days in the United States Army. During my military service, I was able to obtain my bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and two master’s degrees in Human Resources and Managerial Leadership. I have been able to adopt a servant leadership mentality and leadership style. When I was preparing to retire, I believed I still had much to offer. I reflected on my time in the military and remembered the bonding soldiers developed while smoking cigars. Therefore, initially I had thought of opening a cigar lounge. I noticed there were quite a few opening in my community. I wanted to enter into the cigar industry with an approach that was unique. There are many things that I’m proud of in starting my business. One, I started! Two, meeting people from all over Texas has given me great inspiration, insight, and innovative ideas. The feedback received motivated me to start my own cigar line, Smoke & Roll-Out Cigars, learn how to hand roll cigars, and appreciate how we enhance individuals events with our services and products. Third, instead of celebrating my 1st anniversary in business with a party, I hosted a business expo and invited other entrepreneurs to showcase and sell their products/services. It was a wonderful event and we received outstanding feedback. Looking forward to the next one!
Can you tell us the story behind how you met your business partner?
Social media gets the credit for how I connected with my business partner, CJ Harris, owner of Brickhaus3. CJ is a career/business strategist who assist individuals with designing, finalizing, and implementing a strategy that will help them bring their aspirations to reality. Our connection grew based on our philosophies and our interest in cigar culture and the cigar industry. CJ still has our original business strategy we created on a restaurant napkin. It’s amazing how far we have come. Her insight assisted me in expanding my vision, which has been delightful and exciting. I greatly appreciate all of her contributions and support!
What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?
The best source of new clients for Red’s Smoke Shop has been events while working as a vendor and referrals. As of today, we have participated in over 40 events throughout central Texas, Ft. Worth, Houston, San Antonio, and Waco. From festivals to golf tournaments to BBQ Cook-Offs to rodeos to holiday parties. The list continues to grow. I believe the most entertaining event we participated in has been the Beard ‘O Palozza 3, a beard competition which was held in Nolanville, TX. Not only did we met cool people, I won 3rd place in the “4in or less” beard competition. My business partner and I learn something new with every event we participate in. I believe it’s also been great for our clients. We post on our social media pages (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok) videos informing them where will be next.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.redssmokeshop.com
- Instagram: redssmokeshop
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheRedSmokeTeam
- Other: Tik Tok – redssmokeshop
Image Credits
photo credits:Brickhaus3