Pairing human relationships and tobacco

Kimberly Primus...

With three decades of professional experience in the field of Human Resources and a couple of them linked to a passion for tobacco, Kimberly Primus combines human relationships with the enjoyment of cigars, also leveraging her business skills alongside Flayva Cigars, a brand of premium flavored cigars designed for socializing and her lounges Cigar City Club.

Kimberly Primus is a businesswoman who enjoys meeting new people in every cigar lounge she has the opportunity to enter. By nature, she is someone who enjoys interacting with others, a similarity she shares within her professional and social life.

For Kim, within the field of Human Resources, as within the cigar industry, it is imperative to embrace others from all backgrounds and walks of life to be effective and achieve results. She adds that cigars have a unique way of bringing together different and diverse people, sparking conversations that would never have taken place if they didn’t share the passion for premium tobacco.

“Always focus on building solid relationships with others you deem valuable because it will serve you well, and you may need their support on your journey,” she advises from her experience.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, she felt the need to create a project that would keep her occupied, an idea that gave birth to Flayva Cigars, a brand of premium flavored cigars created for socializing and as a next step in her passion for tobacco.

Kimberly recalls that it was through a business relationship that she met the manufacturer of her brand, who provided her with some cigars to taste and left her delighted. They were smooth cigars, suitable for any time of day, a characteristic she was looking for.

By then, Kim was already running Cigar City Club, a lounge that she could use as a platform for her new brand. She placed the cigars in the humidor, and they began to sell. To date, Flayva Cigars offers seven flavors: Brown Sugar, Peppermint, Pina Colada, Hot Chocolate, Black Label, Bourbon, Red Bone Berry, and The Fade, a natural cigar.

According to her, creating the line represented an incredible educational process, as despite being a smoker, she had never before considered the cigar manufacturing process. “There are so many details that go into the production of just one cigar. It’s truly an art form!” she asserts.

As an example of the importance of building solid relationships, Kimberly recalls her recent expansion into the Gambia market thanks to a brand owner who would travel to the African continent to promote his own brand, who proposed to take her flavored cigars to new horizons.

“I didn’t know premium flavored cigars are very uncommon in Gambia, so my cigars were a success and were well received. I am very grateful for this wonderful opportunity.”

Kimberly attributes her business success to her skills in Human Resources, as from her main professional activity, she has obtained communication skills that strengthen her as a leader, as well as the ability to manage people and processes towards the desired result.

Camaraderie, new experiences, and the opportunity to provide entertainment within a safe space are some of the aspects Kimberly finds most rewarding within the cigar industry.

However, as a woman in a maledominated industry, she finds it challenging to be taken seriously or seen as an equal, creating in her the feeling of having to work harder to earn recognition or respect.

In this regard, she highlights the work of the SOTL Global Movement, from which great work is being done to recognize women within the industry and create networking opportunities for their professional development.

To this day, as the owner of two cigar lounges, Kimberly Primus contributes to this development by dedicating an area of her humidor to women-owned brands, as well as organizing the monthly event called Ladies of the Leaf, where women entrepreneurs and suppliers are invited to sell their products/services. “Women generate a significant amount of income in the cigar industry, so it’s important to celebrate us for our contributions.”