11/24/2024
after nearly 7 years, i've made the difficult decision to close new start v***r company.
wanted to share what happened & some thoughts on this journey.
gotta start with gratitude - we helped thousands of people quit smoking. that impact will always mean everything to me.
from $0 in 2018 to a thriving community, we built something special together.
i paid my employees well, kept investing into the shop, got involved in advocacy.
we did everything right: 4.9 google rating, premium american e-liquids, hardware for every type of v**er. kept it clean & professional so anyone's grandma would feel comfortable walking in. no bongs or ho**ah - just pure focus on helping smokers quit.
sales started declining 2 years ago. this summer we were down 70% from peak. used to see 2-5 new customers daily. lately? maybe 5 new faces a month.
what changed everything? disposables.
remember when starting to v**e meant getting proper guidance at a shop? now it's grab-and-go at any gas station. convenience won, but at what cost to proper education & support?
watched our loyal customers switch to disposables one by one.
no more coil changes, no leaky tanks, no learning curve.
can't blame them - convenience is powerful.
but it meant our expertise became less essential.
the majority of our investment in e-liquid and mods collects dust on the shelves.
took a big swing to adapt - moved to a bigger space with dreams of becoming a wellness hub. wanted to pivot to a cuban cafe/kava bar while keeping a curated v**e selection.
had my mom's cuban pastries & my wife's sourdough twist planned out.
but sometimes timing & circumstances don't line up.
ran out of money before we could fully transform.
lessons learned: don't rely on loans to stay afloat, and sometimes even the best plans hit unexpected turbulence
to everyone who trusted us with their quit journey: thank you.
to my team who gave their all: you're family.
to this industry: despite everything, i'm grateful for the chance to help so many people.
what's next? not sure yet. but i know this - every end is just a new start. maybe that's why we chose that name in the first place.
p.s. if you're in the area, stop by. everything must go by end of month - huge discounts on remaining inventory. everything is priced at-cost. would rather see it help people than sit in boxes.
from the bottom of my heart, thank you for the memories.
