Why Growing Our Texan Community Matters

Everything is bigger in Texas and for us at Nicokick, that includes the opportunity. As our largest U.S. market and the base of our national operations, Texas brings us closer to a broad cross-section of verified adult customers and the communities we want to know, support, and grow alongside.

That footprint means decisions made in Texas hit home for us. They shape the way we do business every day and a reason to do more than work here. It calls on us to listen, take part, and build genuine relationships with the people and organizations influencing the future of the Lone Star State. 

We talked about policy. We talked about business. But some of the most valuable conversations were simply about getting to know one another, hearing different perspectives, and widening the circle of people we’re learning from in Texas.  

In regulatory affairs, it’s easy for relationships to form around an issue: A bill comes up. A tax changes. A regulation is proposed. Everyone comes to the table because there’s something immediate to discuss.

But the strongest relationships usually start before that. That’s why I think there’s real value in getting outside our usual circles and being part of a broader Texas community. Lawmakers are obviously an important part of that, but so are business leaders, community organizations, advocates, and the people gaining the experience today that may put them in positions of influence tomorrow. 

This last group is particularly important. The Mexican American Legislative Leadership Foundation is focused on helping develop the next generation of Latino leaders and giving young people practical experience of the legislative process.

This kind of work looks beyond the next session or the next policy debate. It looks at who will be part of those conversations years from now, and I strongly believe businesses should care about that. Not because we expect future leaders to agree with us all the time (good advocacy isn’t about surrounding yourself with people who already do). It’s about making sure there's understanding and open lines of communication when difficult issues eventually land on the table. 

For Nicokick, there’s also a very practical reason to invest in Texas. We have employees and infrastructure here. We have customers here. What happens in the state matters to us.

The current taxation of nicotine pouches is one example. We believe the way these products are taxed needs to change, and it’s something we’ll continue to work on. We'll bring our perspective, our data, and what we’re hearing from adult consumers to the right regulatory forums—and we’ll ask you to engage with lawmakers directly on this issue and others like it that affect your wallet. 

But I don’t want our relationship with Texas to be defined by the issues where we’re asking for change. If we only show up when we need something, we’ve missed a big part of what good advocacy should be.

People should know who we are before there’s an ask. They should understand how we operate, what we stand for, and why we care about the issues we choose to engage on—in the same way that we'll take the time to understand what matters to them. 

One of the things I’ve learned in this work is that community keeps expanding if you make the effort. One conversation leads to another. You meet people outside the groups you normally work with. You hear perspectives you might not hear in a formal policy meeting and, over time, you build something much more useful than a contacts list. You build trust.

That’s what made San Antonio worthwhile for me. Yes, there are important policy conversations ahead in Texas, and you better believe we’ll be part of them. 

Texas is important to Nicokick. We expect it to remain important for a long time and our growing community here should reflect that.