La Keisha Howard’s first premium cigar experience was unpleasant. But that didn’t dissuade Howard, who performs as Ke’Shay Love. The experience grew into a deep appreciation for flavor profiles, craftsmanship, and the cigar lifestyle. Her MBA and hospitality background eased her transition into the cigar industry and helped her launch a brand. Her creativity brings Éclat Noir Cigars to life. Love talked with Cigar Life Guy about belonging without being an expert. She also discussed family legacy and her brand’s “intentionality.”
Ke’Shay Love’s First Premium Cigar Experience
Cigar Life Guy: Tell me about your first premium cigar experience.
Ke’Shay Love: My first cigar experience was actually not pleasant at all! I was living in Dallas briefly. Many venues had patios where people gathered, smoked cigars, and talked. Most of the people I knew were outside enjoying cigars, and after a while I felt left out. I finally said, “Okay, let me try this so I can be part of what everybody else is doing.”
One of the guys gave me a cigar. To this day, I couldn’t tell you what it was. It must have been strong because I did what first-time smokers do—I inhaled.
I experienced what I would classify as death! [Laughs]
It was horrible. I remember thinking, “Why in the world do y’all enjoy doing this?” But experienced smokers coached me on how to smoke properly. They helped me find something better suited to my palate. Eventually, I found my way to flavored cigars, and that’s where I really began to enjoy the experience.
Finding Her Passion for Premium Cigars
Experienced smokers used to tell me, “You’re not a real cigar smoker because you smoke flavored cigars.” At the time, I didn’t understand what they meant. I’ve since learned about tobacco, traveled to Nicaragua, worked with blenders, and helped create my own cigar. Now I understand their distinction. Still, I wouldn’t say someone isn’t a “real” cigar smoker because of what they enjoy.
Everybody’s cigar journey starts somewhere. Mine started with nearly taking myself out with my first cigar. Then came flavored cigars. Eventually, I grew to appreciate premium tobacco, natural flavors, and craftsmanship. Now I’m creating my own blends. That’s a full-circle moment I never could have imagined sitting on that patio in Dallas.
The Woman Behind Éclat Noir Cigars
Cigar Life Guy: How did you get started in the cigar business? What did you do before you got involved, and how does it help inform what you do now?
Ke’Shay Love: My journey into the cigar business is really an extension of everything I’ve built over the years. Before Éclat Noir, I worked in management and with people. But I also had a creative side: music and entertainment. As Ke’Shay Love, my music and my image have always represented confidence, femininity, independence, and being a Boss Lady. Even my single The Real Mrs. Parker represents that sexy, youthful, confident woman who knows exactly who she is. So when I began developing my cigar, The Boss Lady wasn’t just a name I picked for a product. It naturally connected to a brand and identity I had already been building.
One experience that unexpectedly prepared me for the cigar industry was managing a wine bar. That’s where I learned about notes from something grown from the earth: sweet, fruity, earthy, woody, and more. Varietal, growing region, processing, and aging influence the experience. That experience gave me a familiar language for understanding how tobacco can also express different natural characteristics.
I’m very intentional about connecting the different pieces of what I’ve built. Ke’Shay Love, The Real Mrs. Parker, The Boss Lady cigar, and Éclat Noir tell parts of the same story. So do the brand experiences. A woman can be feminine, sexy, sophisticated, powerful, and business-minded. She doesn’t have to choose just one version of herself.
How Ke’Shay Love Is Building a Family Legacy
But there’s also a much deeper reason I got into business: my grandchildren. Creating generational wealth is extremely important to me. People throw around the words “generational wealth” a lot, but I had to really think about what that means. A job can provide for your family, but it isn’t something you can pass down. My goal was to create a lineage my grandchildren and future generations can inherit. They can continue, expand, and improve it.
That’s how I look at Éclat Noir. I’m not just trying to build a successful cigar brand for myself. The goal is to build something that can exist beyond me.
My professional background, hospitality and wine experience, and MBA helped shape that vision. I consider customer experience, leadership, relationships, operations, and strategy. Then traveling to Nicaragua and becoming involved in the blending and manufacturing process gave me another level of education. I began learning the cigar business from the inside rather than simply experiencing it as a consumer.
Éclat Noir brings all my worlds together: businesswoman, entertainer, Boss Lady, cigar enthusiast, and, most importantly, grandmother. I want to leave my family something they can keep building long after I’m gone.
Creating a Cigar Brand With Women in Mind
Cigar Life Guy: You wanted to create a brand that didn’t simply “look feminine”. What was missing in the cigar market that inspired you to create your own line of cigars?
Ke’Shay Love: What I felt was missing was intentionality. I didn’t want to repackage an existing cigar with feminine colors and say, “This is for women.” I wanted women to be part of the conversation from the beginning.
When I started developing The Boss Lady, I approached the blend from my perspective as a woman who enjoys cigars. The goal was something sweet, spicy, bold, and smooth, with those characteristics coming naturally from the tobacco itself. In Nicaragua, I worked with blenders and was specific about the experience I wanted to create.
I created The Boss Lady -intentionally- with women in mind, but I didn’t intend to exclude men. Men have embraced the cigar as well, and I love that. For me, representation doesn’t mean separation. Women deserve a premium cigar where blenders considered us during the creation process, not just during marketing.
Ke’Shay Love’s Advice for Women in the Cigar Industry
Cigar Life Guy: Women in the cigar industry are often overlooked. What advice would you give to women entering the industry and women who smoke cigars?
Ke’Shay Love: My advice to women is: take up your space and learn the business. Don’t feel like you have to prove that you belong simply because you’re a woman. Learn the tobacco, learn the terminology, understand how manufacturers construct cigars, ask questions, and most importantly, develop your own palate. You don’t have to smoke what someone else tells you a woman should smoke.
Breaking Down Barriers With Sip & Smoke
That was actually part of the reason I created Sip & Smoke with Éclat Noir. I wanted to make cigar culture more approachable. Some women are curious about cigars but don’t feel comfortable entering a traditional lounge alone. Sometimes you walk into these spaces, and they’re predominantly male, and if you’re new to cigars, that can be intimidating. I wanted to help remove that barrier.
Sip & Smoke welcomes people into cigar culture through socializing, networking, music, conversation, and education. It’s a space where someone can ask, “How do I cut this? How do I light it? What should I be tasting? What’s the difference between these cigars?” without feeling embarrassed because they don’t already know the answers. I remember being that person. My own first cigar experience showed me how important having someone willing to teach you can be.
Bringing Cigar Enthusiasts Together
At the same time, Sip & Smoke isn’t a women-only experience. That’s important to me. Just as I created The Boss Lady with women intentionally in mind, both women and men enjoy it. Sip & Smoke is inclusive, too. I want experienced smokers sitting beside first-timers. Women and men can connect, network, and enjoy the culture together.
For women who want to enter the cigar industry professionally, I would say go even deeper. Visit factories if you get the opportunity. Talk to manufacturers, retailers, lounge owners, distributors, and other brand owners. Understand the industry beyond what you see on social media. Build genuine relationships and learn the business behind the lifestyle.
And for the woman who simply enjoys smoking cigars—enjoy your cigar your way. You don’t have to be an expert to belong in the room. That’s what I’m creating through Éclat Noir and Sip & Smoke: a bigger room where more of us belong.
Why Cigar Culture Is About More Than Cigars
Cigar Life Guy: What is your favorite aspect of the cigar community?
Ke’Shay Love: My favorite part of the cigar community is the connection. A cigar has this incredible ability to bring people together who might otherwise never sit at the same table.
I’ve met entrepreneurs, professionals, creatives, and people from completely different walks of life through cigar culture. Once you sit down in a lounge or at a Sip & Smoke, titles tend to disappear and conversations begin.
That’s one of the reasons the experience surrounding Éclat Noir is so important to me. It’s bigger than the cigar itself. The experience is about conversation, relationships, networking, culture, and creating spaces where people feel welcome. Some of the best connections happen simply because someone sat down, lit a cigar, and started a conversation.
Beyond the Boss Lady: Family, Music, and Meaningful Moments
Cigar Life Guy: What is one of your passions outside of cigars? What would people not know about you?
Ke’Shay Love: Outside of cigars, the role I probably cherish the most is being NaNa. I have a 6-year-old grandson and a 3-year-old granddaughter, and I absolutely adore them. Being a grandmother feels so different from being a parent. You experience love from a different perspective. My grandchildren are a huge reason legacy and generational wealth matter so much to me.
Family, Holiday Traditions, and Life as NaNa
I’m also very big on family, and to me, family isn’t limited to blood. Family includes people you’ve built lifelong bonds with. They’ve been there through different seasons of your life. I love bringing those people together. I love to entertain, so the holidays are definitely my time. Give me a reason to cook, gather everyone, laugh, eat, play music, and enjoy one another. I’m happy.
Using Music and Words to Inspire Others
But I’ve also realized something about myself over the years. My true passion is giving people something they can take with them. Sometimes that’s information they need to know. Other times, it’s encouragement or a message that inspires somebody to see themselves or their situation differently.
That’s probably why speaking and music have always been so natural for me. I love words that move people. That includes one-on-one talks, public speaking, sharing what I’ve learned, and music.
People may see Ke’Shay Love, The Real Mrs. Parker, The Boss Lady, or Éclat Noir’s businesswoman. Underneath it all, I’m NaNa. I’m the one who wants everybody at the house for the holidays. You’ll probably find me cooking, with music playing, and making sure everybody is good. [Laughs]
And I think all of those sides of me are actually connected. I love creating experiences and memorable moments. Most of all, I love giving people something meaningful they can carry afterward.
Follow K’Shay on Instagram and check out the latest from Éclat Noir Cigars here.
Photo Credit: La Keisha Howard