profile

WIA Profile: Sabrina Earnshaw

Each month, industry news media organization XBIZ spotlights the career accomplishments and outstanding contributions of Women in Adult. WIA profiles offer an intimate look at the professional lives of the industry's most influential female executives.

As the manufacturer of the Official Fifty Shades of Grey Pleasure Collection, Lovehoney’s reach has grown by leaps and bounds since production began on the erotic trilogy’s big-screen adaptation. Playing an integral role in the development and successful U.S. marketing of the collection is Lovehoney’s newly minted brand development manager, Sabrina Earnshaw.

“Luck is when preparation meets opportunity” and I’m the only person who can create these opportunities through working hard and playing hard!

The 25-year-old joined the company in 2012 and has since been promoted twice. In her current role, Earnshaw manages all of Lovehoney’s North and South American trade accounts and leads the day-today office in Bath, England. In this month’s edition of Women In Adult, we profile Earnshaw’s accomplishments and inspiration.

XBIZ: What is your role and responsibility at Lovehoney?

Sabrina Earnshaw: I’ve worked at Lovehoney for the last two-and-half years and have just been promoted to brand development manager in the international trade sales team. I manage our entire North and South American trade accounts, putting my French and Spanish language skills to good use. I also lead the day-to-day office in Bath in the U.K. and assist Ray Hayes, Lovehoney’s commercial director, with key tasks. Everyday is a school day and I am very grateful for working with a great team and mentors. I’m lucky enough to be in a position where I love my job and I look forward to going to the office every morning.

XBIZ: How did you get into the pleasure products industry?

Earnshaw: I did both my Masters in Management with Marketing, and BA in Politics and Spanish, at the University of Bath in the U.K. after finishing high school in France. Just before graduating in 2012, I went the usual route of applying to the big corporations’ graduate schemes in sales and marketing, reaching final interview rounds, but came to the conclusion that I wanted to kick start my career in a smaller organization and lay down some roots.

I always knew about Lovehoney as it’s one of Bath’s biggest success stories. One evening I saw their first TV documentary “More Sex Please, We’re British” and two and two clicked together. The following day I sent my CV over to Richard Longhurst, Lovehoney’s co-owner and co-founder, and a month later I was signing my employment contract.

Lovehoney at the time was in the midst of negotiating for the worldwide license for Fifty Shades of Grey The Official Pleasure Collection and was setting up the trade team to sell it, so I’m glad I read all the books before my first interview. Two years later, I’m traveling all over the U.S. and Europe for trade shows, delivering training sessions, meeting with our customers and overseeing a team of sales executives — not bad for a 25-year-old!

XBIZ: What challenges have you confronted in your career and how have you overcome them?

Earnshaw: Being part of the new American trade team was very daunting at first, as most of my connections were in Europe but when Ray asked me to go to Florida for a trade show everything fell into place — the industry is very welcoming. I now have the honor of developing Fifty Shades of Grey The Official Pleasure Collection, which is the most popular and powerful brand in the industry, but dealing with a licensed brand is not as straight-forward as our customers might think. There are a lot of limitations of what you can and can’t do, it’s a constant juggling act between your creative and legal side. That’s why we encourage our customers to make use of the official branded display units and our Fifty Shades of Grey retailer packs that are completely free of charge. By using them, you create a theater in-store while at the same time keeping the story together and respecting the brand guidelines.

XBIZ: What is the most rewarding part of your job?

Earnshaw: Personally nothing pleases more than attending trade shows and training events whilst having the opportunity finally to meet the customers I’ve been communicating with. We believe as a team it is extremely important to develop strong relationships — ultimately people buy from people.

Moreover as a brand development manager I am able to see our brand portfolio evolve — I am very excited about launching our new Fifty Shades of Grey items in the spring and launching a new exclusive brand at ANME in July.

XBIZ: What is your personal motto or mantra that you live by?

Earnshaw: “Luck is when preparation meets opportunity” and I’m the only person who can create these opportunities through working hard and playing hard! My grandfather also encouraged me to speak to everyone and travel as much as I could — I followed his advice and moved to Chile for a year, worked every student job possible, got a scholarship for my Masters and one evening watched a TV show about a local company called Lovehoney.

XBIZ: What career accomplishment are you most proud of?

Earnshaw: Working from the ground up with Lovehoney — I have had two promotions since I joined in 2012 and last year I was able to buy my first apartment. I worked throughout my studies and even working evenings at a local club when I first joined the company, so when I got my keys I thought “not too bad Sabrina, not too bad.” Most recently, I guest lectured at the University of Bath’s MBA course on brand strategy, which made my parents very proud — they have been so supportive.

XBIZ: What are some of your professional goals for the future?

Earnshaw: I have a big project in the pipeline with Lovehoney, which I am very excited about — watch this space!

Related:  

Copyright © 2024 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More Articles

opinion

Why BDSM Furniture and Sex Machines Make an Ideal Match

For BDSM enthusiasts and curious newbies alike, a big part of the fun is discovering and exploring exciting new sensations and scenarios. One way to level up is by combining or layering pleasures you already enjoy, and one surefire way to do that is with BDSM furniture.

Rebecca Weinberg ·
opinion

Tips for Boosting Ecommerce Revenue With Behavioral Insights

At our marketing agency, we focus on using real data to make better decisions for our clients. We believe every action a visitor takes on a website can tell us something important. This helps us shape our strategies and assist our clients in turning casual website visitors into loyal customers.

Lauren Bailey ·
opinion

A Look at the Do's and Don'ts of Gift-With-Purchase Promos

Imagine you’re at a store, deciding between two products with similar packaging, features and pricing. You’re not predisposed toward either brand and you haven’t seen any reviews — but one of them offers, “Free gift with purchase!” Does that win you over?

Vanessa Rose ·
opinion

Tips for Navigating a Completely Remote Job in Sexual Wellness

Anyone working in the sexual wellness and pleasure sector has at some point had to deal with issues like bias against the industry, as well as limited marketing and advertising options.

Bryony Lees ·
trends

Meet the 2024 Class of Up-and-Coming Pleasure Brands to Watch

With each new year that rolls in, new pleasure brands emerge, and 2024 is no exception. Already this year, a slew of new entrants are rapidly gaining traction and recognition via social media, among retailers and distributors — and most importantly, end consumers.

profile

WIA Profile: Sarah Franson

When you do what you love, they say, you’ll never work a day in your life — and when your job involves educating the masses about sex toys, it’s hard not to love what you do.

Women In Adult ·
profile

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.

Kim Airs ·
profile

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.

Sofia Barrett-Ibarria ·
opinion

How Awareness Revolutionized Materials Used in Pleasure Products

Today’s manufacturers and consumers are material-savvy, giving rise to pleasure products that are safe to use, beautiful to look at, high-quality and even environmentally responsible.

Eric Lee ·
opinion

How Sex-Ed Lays the Groundwork for Well-Informed Shopping

We often do some research before making purchases, whether by delving into a company’s background, exploring specific products or simply making sure we understand how to use something before we buy it.

Nathan Hammerle ·
Show More