Feature Articles
CalExotics Founder and CEO Susan Colvin Reflects on Brand's 30-Year Legacy
Thirty years ago, back when there were only hard plastic sex toys in tan and black, Susan Colvin had a vision of what sex toys could be. And so she set out to create her own company, California Exotic Novelties, which for three decades has been a pioneer, continually reimagining and expanding the pleasure products market.
Popsi Lingerie CEO Sam Golshan Discusses Brand's Growth, Mission
Lingerie: a sexy French word for an alluring little something to spark things up in the bedroom, teasingly wear out to clubs, dress up in to celebrate a special occasion or just wear under everyday clothes to feel excited and desirable.
Honey Play Box's Joreail Armstrong Reflects on Company's Growth
Today, Armstrong serves as business development manager for boutique sex toy brand Honey Play Box, but he began his role there as a one-man marketing department, assisting CEO Shirley Wang with nearly every aspect of launching the brand.
Bathmate's Tim Brown Talks Legal Standards of Penis Pump Production
Since the company’s inception in 2006, Bathmate has delivered myriad iterations of the brand’s namesake: a hydrotherapy pump utilizing warm water and suction to take advantage of the penis’s naturally hydraulic erectile function.
Nasstoys Marks 45 Years of Pioneering in the Pleasure Industry
Longtime pleasure products manufacturer Nasstoys, known for its vast variety of adult products and supplements, is commemorating 45 years in the business of making people happy.
System JO Marks 20th Anniversary With Display Contest, Surprise Visits
Throughout October, reps from System JO traveled the globe to surprise winners of the company’s 20th-anniversary display contest with in-person visits secretly arranged with the assistance of store managers and owners.
Sexologist Dr. Mindy Brings Modern Sex-Ed Approach to Xgen Products
If your pleasure industry company isn’t currently employing a sex educator, do you even sex toy, bro? Millennial dad jokes aside, consumers have realized that it takes a high level of sexual health knowledge and a proper understanding of anatomy to create a satisfying product that’s worth their dollars.
Carolyn Eagle Promotes Inclusive Retail as Founder of Betty's Toy Box
The mother of two young sons, Eagle found herself in need of a more lucrative gig than her admin job and joked with a co-worker that she was considering two potential new careers: sex toy sales or hawking “geriatric equipment.” Fortunately for the pleasure industry, Eagle chose the former.
Sean Quinn Helps Retailers Navigate Tricky Tech as CEO of All Point Retail
A former corporate success story and serial entrepreneur who just can’t seem to get out of the technology industry, Quinn founded All Point Retail to assist retailers in need of anything from a little IT support to some serious intervention.
Shunga Founder Manon Vallee Reveals the History Behind Her Veteran Brand
Shunga Erotic Art is best known for its boutique vibe, its stunning Japanese art visuals and of course, its curated line of oils, lotions and potions meant to be touched, tasted and smelled.
Meet the Mother-Daughter Duo Behind Like A Kitten Pleasure Brand
In 2017, Natalie Annis was ready for a career pivot. She was working in the construction industry as the owner of a manufacturing and distribution company, but after 20 years in that business, she was ready for a change.
50-Year Dream: Pipedream Products Celebrates Five Decades of Evolution, Growth
Over the years, Pipedream Products has endured an ever-changing economy, supply chain issues and various other challenges, tackling them all with creativity and determination while achieving seemingly limitless growth.
Timeless Experience: Jessica Drake on Promoting Sex Ed Through Pleasure
Jessica Drake wears many hats for Wicked Sensual Care. A much-lauded adult star for over two decades, she now serves up enthusiasm, knowledge and passion in product development and marketing for the lube brand.
Kix'ies Founder Samantha DeMartini Aims to Revolutionize Sexy Fashion
“I was 17 years old and getting in a boy’s truck for a ride home,” she recalls. “The most popular boy at school! But as I climbed in, my skirt got stuck in my backpack, exposing my ‘nylon butt.’ You know, when a girl’s rear end is smushed into a pair of high-waisted nylon tights.”
Dr. Picolya McCall-Robinson Aims to Improve Oral Sex With SugahLipz
Dr. Picolya McCall-Robinson first conceived her idea for an oral-sex enhancement product through her work as a licensed psychologist. She observed that many of her clients, individuals and couples alike, were struggling with questions, concerns and discomfort related to their sex lives — particularly oral sex.
Elizabeth Thomas Details Inspiration Behind Lovgun Massager
Before the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Lovgun CEO Elizabeth Thomas was in the midst of a career transition. She had recently left a job in the medical operations field and completed a training program led by author, clinical sexologist and AASECT-certified expert sex counselor Dr. Ava Cadell.
Hamed Bossett-Allen, Jorge Solorzano Take Sink or Swim Distribution to New Heights
Seven years ago, two dudes were marveling over the impressively giant cheese-and-crackers spread at the ANME trade show, eyes wide like a couple of teen boys walking into an adult store on their 18th birthdays.
Family Keeps the Kink, Commerce Coming Behind the Scenes at XR Brands
As company founder and CEO at kink- and BDSM-focused manufacturer XR Brands, Ari Suss has built his one-room-office ecommerce outfit in Maryland into a national household name in pleasure products.
Ken Lassiter Celebrates 40 Years With Adam & Eve
These days, working 40 years at the same company is almost unheard of — but this year, Ken Lassiter celebrates that milestone with adult retail industry pioneer Adam & Eve. Lassiter’s four-decade career began with what was initially supposed to be a temporary job while he figured out his next steps.
Carly S. Serves Up NYC-Style Sex Education, Toy Expertise
New Yorkers have a reputation for not f-ing around, and pleasure advocate Carly S. brings that no-holds-barred NYC attitude to her unabashed brand of sex education. An adult industry freelancer-of-all-trades, Carly is brashly unafraid to throw the realities of sexuality straight into your face.