18 TOBACCO BUSINESS | MAY / JUNE | 22 appear as if they’re fighting with one another when that’s actually not the case. That’s where the industry’s media can help by sharing the stories and opinions of women and getting their stories out to the masses. “I think the more often our stories and opinions are being shared and told, and the more we are seen, then that’s less kind of ‘cutting against the grain’ we have to do as women,” Lamar explained. “Spaces like this [panel] help us to be seen. As long as we continue to have spaces like this, it gives us the opportunities to be able to share our story, share our opinions and help people understand more about what we’re about.” As part of the efforts to align men and women on equal ground, Clark also points out that it’s important to showcase women alongside men. “It’s not just women’s power; it’s power of everybody. It’s women and men alongside each other. We are equals. We are doing the same thing, we know the same things, and we’re creating the same experiences. So yes, sisters supporting sisters is incredibly important, but brothers supporting sisters is also important.” And finally, although it shouldn’t need to be said in 2022—stop making assumptions about women cigar smokers. Women, much like their male counterparts, have a wide range of palates and preferences when it comes to cigar products. Not everywoman is looking for a flavored cigar when they step into a humidor. Treat female customers the same as male customers and try to discover what sort of product will be best suited for their own individual palate. Ask questions about the strength of cigar they prefer, what occasion they’re going to smoke it during, and what they’ll be drinking or eating while smoking the cigar. By removing any assumptions and stereotypes from the conversation, you’ll grow your female customer base and show them that everyone, regardless of their gender, is welcome and has a place within your tobacco business. You can watch this panel in its entirety, as well as other panels that were part of this year’s TPE Ignite Online Educational Series, at tobaccobusiness.com/category/tpe-show. TB Smokin’ Hot Topics Supply chain issues, an uptick in cigar consumption, onboarding new cigar smokers—these are all hot topics that our panel of industry experts tackled during our all-female-led TPE Ignite educational panel. Here’s how each panelist addressed some of the industry’s biggest challenges. What do you wish the cigar culture would understand more about being a manufacturer? Temi Bush: There’s a side that people don’t realize—everything from factory partnership to understanding the production model, like with quality control, logistics, import, export—so many things! Pandemics like the one we’ve had affect every aspect of that whole supply chain model. When people see the label, they think, “Oh, look, it’s a cute label. Let me just get that.” That’s what I always tell people: It’s way more than the cute label. It’s all the things that go into that cigar before and after the label. How is your business handling the increased demand for premium cigars? Janelle Lamar: We [ATL Cigar Co.] started in the pandemic, so this is kind of all we know. We like to do a lot of events, so with the events that we’ve hosted, we’ve tried to have COVID in mind. We’ve had them outside and in well-ventilated areas if they’re not in the lounge. But even in conjunction with this high demand, and this pandemic situation, we have these general challenges of just being a newer company, so add that into the mix. It’s hard to navigate the forecasting and things like that because we are newer, but we just do our best to try to build inventory and brand awareness. We partner with producers who have the ability to keep up with our demand. What are some questions to ask a customer who’s new to smoking cigars? Riley Clark: First, I always ask, “What are you doing while you’re smoking? What setting are you going to be in? Who are you going to be around? How long do you want it to last?” I ask that so I can get a feel of the night that they’re going to have. And then I like to get to know everyone’s palate. “What do you like to drink? Not when smoking cigars, just tell me what your drink of choice is.” Also, “What’s your favorite dessert?” After they answer those questions, I’ve learned a lot, and just by using my education mixed with the answers they’ve given, I can come up with the perfect suggestion for them. It’s not just women’s power; it’s power of everybody. It’s women and men alongside each other. We are equals. We are doing the same thing, we know the same things, and we’re creating the same experiences. So yes, sisters supporting sisters is incredibly important, but brothers supporting sisters is also important. —Riley Clark, Shore Thing Cigars
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