NOLA VAPE FAQ

There’s a magic here in New Orleans that you can taste, hear, and see—and now you can vape it. Nola Vape is a small, dedicated team of juice makers who hand-craft their e-juice in New Orleans using USP ingredients and specializing in organically extracted flavors.

NOLA Vape was founded by a group of New Orleans natives and friends with years of electronic cigarette and vaping experience. On a quest for the perfect e-liquid, their journey led them to share their creations with the world. They saw that the unique flavors of New Orleans hadn’t yet come to the vaping world, so they made it happen.  We are Vaper Makers. We Are the one and only NOLA VAPE.

Our Original New Orleans-Inspired NOLA VAPE E-Juice Flavors include but are not limited to:

1. What’s the Nola Vape story–how did you get the idea for it and how did you go about entering the business?

Nola Vape’s genesis is directly linked to a distinct foresight the founders shared for developing trends. Let’s rewind back to 2012 when the vast majority of smokers didn’t even know this newfangled electronic cigarette contraption existed. We had a firm sense of the product’s inevitable potential for growth even back then.

First, there are the innovators, followed by the imitators, and then there’s everyone else. Nola Vape was formed on the bedrock of innovation. While the eCig business model had been executed in various other larger markets, it had yet to immerse itself in the local New Orleans scene, much less regionally. 

No one else had thought to apply New Orleans’ unique cultural charm, vernacular, and way of life to the actual marketing and branding of eCigs and eJuice. It just seemed like a natural fit to us.

2. What are some of your original flavors, also what are your backgrounds? Have you always lived in NOLA?

We are all proud NOLA natives. Being born and raised in New Orleans has certainly fostered a keen eye for creativity, and “thinking outside the box” if you will. This city is a cultural gumbo unlike any other. Much like the recipe for gumbo, we have figured out how to fuse eclectic ingredients together in order to form a more complex eJuice that is layered with not only flavor, but also cultural essence.

 NOLA Vape is really a reflection of everything we grew up with – it’s king cake, it’s pralines, it’s bananas foster, and above all – it’s naturally New Orleans.

3. What were your main motivations for starting an e-juice business?

Our primary motive was a mutual desire to share what we felt was a superior alternative to smoking cigarettes within our community. But we all know that at the end of the day, the purpose of a business is to produce a viable profit margin.

We were passionate about being able to exercise our creative license at long last and motivated by the opportunity to don our figurative wizard hats. We submerged ourselves in the creative freedom to experiment with the chemistry and flavor profiles of our juice line. And moreover, we eagerly integrated our unique, innovative methods to market and brand this line.

4. Were you tobacco smokers before starting Nola Vape? Did vaping influence or change this?

Actually, our whole social krewe are former smokers. Let’s face it – it’s pretty prevalent around New Orleans. In this city, a cocktail and a cigarette go hand in hand, almost as much as beignets and powdered sugar. Vaping was our way of collectively agreeing to quit the cancer sticks in favor of something more evolved.   

5. How has vaping itself played a role in your lives? Is it more of a side hobby, or is vaping a big part of your lives?

 Being the owners of a Vape business, it goes without saying that we are immersed in eCigs and eJuice on a consistent basis.  Yet, we still manage to find the time to explore other hobbies. Vaping began as a hobby for us and progressed to become something much larger.

We believe in moderation with everything, and this includes vaping. It loses its magic if we allow the act of vaping to consume and dictate our daily activities. We firmly believe that eCigs are a better choice than cigarettes; but still, do it in moderation.

 6. What was the process like of creating and discovering your local flavors?

 There was a substantial amount of good ole fashioned trial and error involved in the ongoing process of hand crafting our flavor line. The real impetus was all the brainstorming. We envisioned all the cliché NOLA flavors; and moreover, what would appeal to outsiders and natives alike. But when we really deconstruct our creative process, it all boils down to one foolproof method – have fun. Savor the moment. This mindset is fertile soil to nourish the best ideas, sparked purely by imagination.  It’s that simple.

 7. What was involved in creating your huge line of juices–how long did it take, how many people worked on them, etc?

 It took years of experimentation and tons of feedback from friends and customers to polish our massive line of 100+ juices.

 8. What makes a good e-juice? In particular, what makes your e-juice so delicious?

 Well, all our juice is handcrafted using the finest US manufactured ingredients. Each and every bottle is made by hand, and hence, made with love. Perhaps this is what makes our juice so delicious.

It really is a revival of American values. In an industry where all hardware is imported overseas from China, it’s a fabulous feeling to know we are still capable of producing good ole US products.

 9. Do you think some people exaggerate the idea of “premium” e-liquid and sometimes overcharge based on such claims? Or is it simply a matter of different market niches having their place?

 That’s a rather tough call to make, as I am not at liberty to generalize vendors’ claims of touting “premium” eLiquids. I would have to guess that some vendors do over exaggerate such claims, while others actually do have bona-fide premium blends to offer. It all depends on the company’s commitment to quality control. For example, we have been experimenting with methods of infusing all natural, organic flavors. This is exponentially more labor-intensive and time-consuming, so I can completely understand the price jump for gourmet blends.

 10. What’s the most important part, to you, of running a good e-liquid business?

The key to managing any good business is a simple formula linking the perfect marriage of customer service and quality control with a scrumptious sprinkling of innovation on top.

11. Has this business matched your expectations? Any big surprises?

This business has more than exceeded our expectations. The biggest roadblock was securing a payment processer in a high-risk industry. Most payment processors (i.e. PayPal) won’t touch this industry with a ten-foot pole because it has such a high-risk stigma.

12. Have you done mostly local marketing, or are you aiming nationally too?

We’re doing both. We rank nationally for a lot of the most popular keywords in the industry. We still have a nice chunk of local business, in addition to online orders from all over the United States.

13. How does the vaping business compare to your experience in other businesses?

The vape industry has less of a corporate and conservative feel as juxtaposed with other businesses, which allows more room for creative license.

14. There were some legal issues with the naming of your e-liquids–what’s your take on this? How did it turn out; was it a big roadblock? 

As in any business, there are people who try to bully others under the guise of protecting their intellectual property. The strangest incident was concerning the ownership of one of our eLiquid’s names. We’ve gotten flack from people that assert their legal ownership of the combination of a color and a fruit as a name. We were flabbergasted, but we found our own creative way to keep the product in line and our creative vision intact. There are no problems in this business – only solutions.

 15. What has been your experience with the New Orleans vaping community? Do you find it welcoming and helpful? Exclusionary and cliquish?

In the words of our dear friend Josh Sense, “If you don’t want to play on the team, watch from the bench.” We are all a team in the sense that we all share this common interest. However, there will always be drama, as this is the nature of competition. 

16. Are you worried about the upcoming FDA rulings on vaping? How has this played a role in your business decisions?

Let’s just be real – who isn’t sweating this upcoming FDA ruling? None of us have any idea how it’s going to play out; so we hope for the best and plan for the worst. Ultimately, our products do NOT contain nicotine; accordingly, by definition, or products are not ENDS (electronic nicotine delivery systems)

17. What’s your opinion on vaping as a method of smoking cessation?

The fact that you are able to choose your nootropic levels and reduce them down to zero is an appealing option.

18. What’s your opinion on how healthy (or not) vaping is, and the studies done so far? 

We believe There is no evidence that the exhaled vapor presents any harm or danger to bystanders as opposed to second hand smoke from cigarettes.

19. Do you see Nola Vape as having a positive role in the city’s health?

Of course, mainly due to the fact that we are offering people a superior alternative to traditional cigarettes.

20. What’s the best part of being in the e-liquid business? What’s the worst?

The best part of our involvement with the eLiquid business is being able to shy away from traditional corporate business models in favor of something progressive. The worst part of this industry is that we all know in the back of our minds that this party will eventually have an expiration date once the FDA rulings come into play.

21. Obviously, New Orleans is a place of vice and fun, and a smoker-heavy city. How do you see vaping itself fitting into that idea of New Orleans?

Cigarette smoking has been banned in most locations throughout the city, whereas vaping is more accepted. Also, the smell from vaping is pleasant, and the flavors are tasty and fun.

22. What’s the biggest thing you’ve learned from creating Nola Vape?

Learning is a never-ending process. The best feeling was learning that we do indeed have the ability to create something from nothing. We were able to give form and substance to an idea that had never been done before. In turn, we get to share our love of New Orleans’ unique culture with the world. 

23. Would you do anything differently if you were starting over from the beginning of Nola Vape?

No. There are no regrets, and we are full of gratitude for this chapter in our lives.