smart code issue with Highend theme (also using WPBakery)

I thought I posted this but I’m not finding it.
I’m helping a friend with his new wordpress site. He’s working with the Highend theme & WPBakery.
He’s using a plugin that has short codes that work on other wordpress sites around the world with no problem.
When he adds the short code (using the WPBakery editor) you can see the correct info from the short code in the wpbakery editor.
But it doesn’t show up live in the site.
WPBakery came with the theme (which he purchased). Once you start using WPBAkery, if you disable it, it messes up all your pages.
So we’re just trying to trouble shoot what could be keeping the shortcode from working.

Any ideas how to trouble shoot this?