Interviews Archives - Page 18 of 27

Vaping Diaries #191: Vape Panda Victoria You Interview

Following up on my hard-hitting interview with a real-life panda, here’s an interview with Vape Panda logistics manager Victoria You. She talks about how the company got started from a conversation at a Riverside vape shop, the completely sweet Vape Panda clothing line, and the new Bamboo Elixir line of e-liquid.

If you’re not familiar with Vape Panda clothing, the company makes vaping-related t-shirts, hoodies, and more. The threads feature the adorable Ohmie the Panda. If you don’t find these clothes irresistibly cute, then you have no heart. Vaping is cool. Pandas are cool. Vape Panda makes total sense, don’t you agree? Anyway, check out my chat with Victoria to learn more about the company and its clothes.

Vaping Diaries #190: Vape Brewery CEO Ramon Pascua Interview

It was fun meeting Vape Brewery CEO Ramon Pascua at Vapers Exhibit. I tried some of his juices at Vape Star Koreatown and enjoyed them. Then I learned a little bit about him and his family on the company web site. As a Filipino-American vaper that has been transplanted from New York to Los Angeles, I empathize with Ramon. Anyway, it was cool learning about Vape Brewery, its juices, and the upcoming Private Stock line (oak-barrel aged) at the show. Check out the clip above and let me know if any Vape Brewery e-liquids tickle your fancy.

Vaping Diaries #189: What is Vapers Exhibit?

I’ve posted a bunch of interviews from the first Vapers Exhibit trade show in Ontario, California. Now it’s time to learn more about the show itself. I chatted with LNG Investments (the company Vapers Exhibit) CEO Lino Geaga to learn how the show got started. Originally, it was going to be a fairly standard vape meet that took place at a store. Things grew so quickly that LNG had to rent space at the Ontario Convention Center. One aspect of Vapers Exhibit that makes it stand out is that some proceeds from the show are donated to charity. In the case of the Ontario show, a donation to the American Cancer Society was made.

Coming up in June is Vapers Exhibit Las Vegas, which should be three times bigger than the Ontario show. Lino hopes to hit up different regions of America on a quarterly basis and eventually take the show to other countries. I pitched him on the idea of Vapers Exhibit Phuket. A vaping convention in Thailand would completely rule.

Anyway, check out the clip above to learn more about Vapers Exhibit and LNG’s plans for the show. And be sure to bug LNG on social media to make Vapers Exhibit Phuket a reality!

Vaping Diaries #188: Vape Maps Interview

A couple of weeks ago, I met up with the Vape Maps founders at Vape Star Koreatown. If you’re not familiar with Vape Maps, it’s a new service that’s kind of like Yelp, but specifically for vapers. Right now, Vapes Maps helps you find vape shops, read reviews on shops, get store info, and see photos of shops. It’s currently accessible through the Vape Maps web site, as well as mobile apps for Android and iOS devices. In the interview above, founders Alex Pessah and Michael Cardoza talk about the service and some of its upcoming features.

One of the newer features that’s currently available on the Vape Maps web site and coming soon to the app is 3D panoramic views. These short clips give you a detailed view — sometimes multiple views — of the inside of a vape shop. While still photos can be gussied up and sometimes give an inaccurate portrayal of a store’s size, the 3D view paints a more meaningful picture.

In the near future, Vape Maps will allow you to search for specific products. You’ll be able to look up a certain juice, mod, atomizer, etc. and find out which stores have it in stock. This feature has tremendous potential. Instead of wasting time visiting numerous stores or calling them up, a quick search will let you see which stores have the product that’s currently your (vaping) heart’s desire. The concern here is having stores update their stock in a timely and honest manner. There’s a lot of potential convenience with this feature, but there’s also some potential for bait-and-switch tactics.

While I was chatting with some vaping friends about Vape Maps, a few of them asked, “Why should I use this over Yelp?” There are a few reasons why. This service was made by vapers for vapers. It’s specific and focused. You don’t have to deal with all the other noise Yelp brings to your quest for a nearby vape shop. And let’s face it, many reviews on Yelp were written by people that have no idea what makes a great vape shop. Don’t get me wrong; I’m a fan and frequent user of Yelp, but for vaping-specific searches, Vape Maps has the potential to offer so much more.

When you get a chance, check out the Vape Maps web site and apps. I’d love to hear your thoughts on the service in the comments section.

Special thanks to Vape Star for letting me film there and to Vaping Utopia Ron for introducing me to the Vape Maps crew.

Vaping Diaries #187: Cartel Mods Gino Litonjua Interview (Vapers Exhibit)

It’s always excellent catching up with Gino Litonjua from Cartel Mods. He’s a cool guy that makes some beautiful vaping products. Our last (filmed) chat was at ECC 2013 and it was one of my favorite clips from the show. At Vapers Exhibit, I chatted with Gino about some of Cartel Mods’ upcoming products. He talked about the limited edition Copper Cartel Mod, the 26650 Cartel Boss, the Stillare v2i atomizer, and the Stillare Plus (mode to match the boss). He also teased the Stillare v3, which is being prototyped now and will be out later this year. Watch the interview to learn details about these exciting vaping products from a great American mod and atomizer maker.

Vaping Diaries #186: RPadTV vs. the Vape Panda (Vapers Exhibit)

There are times when you’re conducting an interview and you can’t help but think, “Damn. This is gold!” That was precisely the case at Vapers Exhibit when I interviewed the Vape Panda from Vape Panda. As I was editing this piece, one word kept ringing in my head — journalism. It reminded of that scene from Coach Carter, when Samuel Jackson is pensively standing in the center of a gymnasium with one foot on a basketball. You can’t help but think of one word while watching that scene — acting.

Anyway, this hard-hitting interview with the Vape Panda covers all sorts of topics — the political situation in the Ukraine, the missing Malaysian airplane, solar panel incentives in California, March Madness, and more. Check out the interview and be prepared to have some heavy knowledge dropped on you. Stay tuned for another Vape Panda interview about the company, its sweet apparel, and new juices.

Vaping Diaries #185: Epic Juice Sammie Saing Interview (Vapers Exhibit)

When I chatted with Epic Juice CEO Arthur Han at ECC 2013, he mentioned that the company had some tobacco e-liquids in the works. The new flavors have arrived. First up is Yosi, which is Epic Juice’s take on the popular RY4 blend (tobacco, caramel, and vanilla as invented by Janty). As a huge mark for RY4s and a fan of Epic Juice, I’m looking forward to vaping this e-liquid. The other new flavor is Fraho, which is a blend of tobacco and crisp apple. I also dig Apple-baccos, so I’m looking forward to this one as well.

Looking at the big picture, I’m excited to see another Southern California e-liquid company tackling tobacco juices — especially a company as established and respected as Epic Juice. The SoCal market is dominated by fruit e-liquids, with creamy juices becoming the rage in 2014. Tobacco juices get a bad rap in SoCal vape shops, partially because some shop owners are ignorant regarding good tobacco e-liquids and partially because not a lot of local companies make this type of juice. Hopefully with juice makers like Epic Juice, SoCal will become a region that’s known for making great tobacco e-liquids.

Anyway, please check out the clip above and listen to Epic Juice sales director Sammy Saing talk about Yosi and Fraho.

Vaping Diaries #182: 2Puffs Interview (Munstro Mod and More)

Many vapers love 2Puffs pyrex tanks and drip tips. The company is still cranking out those products, but is taking its game to the next level with the Munstro. This mechanical mod comes with three tubes that use three different metals, a tritone drip tip, and a wood stand. At Vapers Exhibit, I caught up with 2Puffs partners Arnel Ang and Charles Tan. The two gave me details on the Munstro, shared some company history, revealed what was behind the 2Puffs name, and told me how a Johnnie Walker Black drinking sessions lead to the name of the Munstro mod.

Vaping Diaries #181: Naughty by Vapor Interview (Vapers Exhibit)

I never thought that I would post an article or video that combined vaping with adult film stars, but Naughty by Vapor took care of that! I’ve been wanting to meet the company for some time, as it’s a Filipino-American crew that has some cleverly named and delicious e-liquids. While the Naughty by Vapor Classic Line has a lot of fans, the new Luxury Line is getting a ton of buzz. The new juices are named after and inspired by actresses in adult films — genius!

In the interview above, CEO Ryan Palma and chief strategist Peter Castaneda talk about how the company got started, the concept behind the Naughty by Vapor brand, and the flavors in the Classic Line. Adult actresses Chloe Amour and Daisy Marie talk about their flavors in the Luxury Line.

This was the most difficult interview for me at Vapers Exhibit. It was really hard to concentrate with Chloe and Daisy around (though it was certainly an enjoyable challenge). Ha!

Vaping Diaries #180: Trabuco Vapors Interview (Vapers Exhibit)

As a huge fan of naturally-extracted tobacco e-liquids and a resident of Southern California, I was excited to meet the Trabuco Vapors crew at Vapers Exhibit. In SoCal, the majority of the e-liquid companies focus on fruit and dessert flavors. As a tobacco guy, I was pleased to hear about a SoCal juice maker that focuses on naturally-extracted tobacco juices.

At Vapers Exhibit, I chatted with Trabuco Vapors co-owner Robert Fairrington and juice master general Chas Trowbridge. The two talk about Trabuco Vapors’ origins, the company’s juices, the tobacco extraction method behind the juices, the company’s sweet mod holders, and more.