Today we’d like to introduce you to James Sims.
Hi James, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I am a retired U.S. Army Sergeant First Class and the co-founder of Red’s Smoke Shop, a veteran-owned mobile cigar experience company headquartered in Williamson County, Texas. After serving 20 years in the military, I transitioned my leadership, resilience, and servant-hearted approach into entrepreneurship, building a company that combines luxury cigar experiences with meaningful community impact.
I hired a business coach (CJ with Brickhaus3 Consulting) to obtain guidance before executing my business plan. I initially started Red’s Smoke Shop as a mobile cigar bar service, then when I asked CJ to be a partner in the business and life (we said “I do”), she encouraged me to learn the art of hand rolling cigars, teach the art and leverage the cigar experiences to assist non-profit organizations with elevating their events and fund-raising. In addition to bringing the art to weddings, birthday celebrations and other occasions!
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It’s been a beautiful learning experience. The biggest challenge was having to say no to some events, but after CJ, my wife, accepted the opportunity to become my apprentice and mastered the art, we have been able to split up and fulfil requests in multiple cities that want our cigar experiences.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
As a Cuban-trained master cigar roller, I specialize in live cigar hand-rolling demonstrations and educational experiences for events across the United States and internationally. Under my co-leadership, Red’s Smoke Shop has become known not only for craftsmanship and hospitality, but also for its mission-driven business model that embeds nonprofit support directly into company operations.
In 2024 and 2025, Red’s Smoke Shop contributed thousands of dollars in donations, services, and nonprofit partnerships supporting organizations focused on children, veterans, housing, healthcare, and community development. Organizations supported include Williamson County Child Advocacy Center, Habitat for Humanity, March of Dimes, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Backpack Friends, Junior League of Austin, and Fisher House Foundation, among others.
In 2025, Red’s Smoke Shop launched its “26 in 2026” initiative, committing to partner with 26 nonprofit organizations by donating time, talent, resources, and fundraising support to help them achieve greater impact in their communities. As of today, we have partnered with 31 non-profit organizations. We announced our “27 in 2027” initiative in August 2026 to start connecting with new non-profit organizations.
Beyond philanthropy, I continue my commitment to mentorship and education through community leadership programs focused on entrepreneurship and financial literacy for youth.
We are the only cigar experience company that offers non-profit packages to assist the organizations with their event fund-raising strategy.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.redssmokeshop.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/@redssmokeshop
- Facebook: @redssmokeshop
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@redssmokeshop
