We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Lyisha “Lollie: Allen. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Lyisha “Lollie: below.

Lyisha “Lollie:, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?

I began my career in the nightlife industry as a bottle girl, hookah attendant, and bartender. As I gained more experience, I realized that I had a talent for this line of work and decided to turn it into a part-time hustle. Together with a friend, we started a mobile bartending service in Memphis, TN. However, I eventually moved back to my hometown of New Orleans and resumed my work as a bartender and hookah attendant.

Unfortunately, just as our business began to take off, the COVID-19 pandemic hit, forcing me to re-evaluate my business strategy. It was during this time that I came up with the idea for Clouds & Cocktails, a mobile bartending and hookah rental company that eventually expanded into the first Black female-owned cannabis and smoke shop in both New Orleans and Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Initially, our company only offered mobile bartending and hookah rental services, but we eventually expanded to include Hookah for Businesses. This program involved helping start-up businesses and individuals looking to begin hookah rental companies.

While searching for inventory for our smoke shop, my boyfriend stumbled across some cannabis products that sparked our interest in the legal cannabis industry. We now have two stores and offer a variety of products, including our own branded Pocket Hookahs in both nicotine and non-nicotine versions, flowers, and gummies, which can be purchased through our website.

Overall, my journey has been filled with ups and downs, but I am proud to have built a successful business that offers unique services and products to our community.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

I began my career in the nightlife industry as a bottle girl, hookah attendant, and bartender. As I gained more experience, I realized that I had a talent for this line of work and decided to turn it into a part-time hustle. Together with a friend, we started a mobile bartending service in Memphis, TN. However, I eventually moved back to my hometown of New Orleans and resumed my work as a bartender and hookah attendant.

Unfortunately, just as our business began to take off, the COVID-19 pandemic hit, forcing me to re-evaluate my business strategy. It was during this time that I came up with the idea for Clouds & Cocktails, a mobile bartending and hookah rental company that eventually expanded into the first Black female-owned cannabis and smoke shop in both New Orleans and Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Initially, our company only offered mobile bartending and hookah rental services, but we eventually expanded to include Hookah for Businesses. This program involved helping start-up businesses and individuals looking to begin hookah rental companies.

While searching for inventory for our smoke shop, my boyfriend stumbled across some cannabis products that sparked our interest in the legal cannabis industry. We now have two stores and offer a variety of products, including our own branded Pocket Hookahs in both nicotine and non-nicotine versions, flowers, and gummies, which can be purchased through our website.

Can you talk to us about how your funded your business?

Clouds & Cocktails was started with personal savings, which were accumulated through a combination of bartending and hookah events and a 9-5 job. By saving money on the side, I was able to purchase the items necessary to build my online smoke shop and hookah rental company. Over time, I was able to save enough capital to invest in my own disposable pocket hookah pens.

Eventually, The Bundle Gang founder Alton Alexis, who is my partner in business, that I met through social media, recognized the potential for scaling my business and decided to invest, becoming my significant other and business partner. Alton, has been running his own business for a decade. Despite the difficulties, we have managed to keep our partnership going for almost three years now.

Do you sell on your site, or do you use a platform like Amazon, Etsy, Cratejoy, etc?

Selling cannabis products online is a challenging endeavor, despite our e-commerce website. The lack of federal legislation in this industry means that each entity can set its own rules and regulations, which can be unfair. Payment processors are limited, and those that are available often charge higher rates because of the industry’s perceived riskiness. Moreover, some e-commerce sites restrict what products can be sold, while others may not allow the sale of cannabis products at all. Developing and maintaining an e-commerce site can be both time-consuming and expensive, particularly if you are not proficient in web development and design. Currently, we do not utilize platforms like Amazon or Etsy, but we hope to do so in the near future.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.cloudsandcocktails.net
• Instagram: @cloudsandcocktails
• Facebook: Clouds &. Cocktails
• Twitter: Cloudscocktailz
• Youtube: Clouds & Cocktails

Image Credits
Reezus & Nola Frozen Time Photography