With a charming, vibrant personality that lights up the room, it’s clear that the people skills that Carmen Miller-Branch, Liberator’s vice president of business development, possesses come to her naturally. She was also born with an entrepreneurial spirit and passion for bringing unique products to the world. Since joining Liberator two years ago, Miller-Branch has quickly risen through the ranks to take the brand to a new level with international growth. Prior to joining Liberator, Miller-Branch owned an established promotional company and joined Liberator with more than 15 years of experience in marketing and selling promotional and guest amenity products within the U.S. and Southeast Asian markets. In this month’s edition of Women in Adult, we spotlight Miller-Branch and her expanding career with Liberator.
XBIZ: What is your role and responsibility as Liberator’s VP of business development?
Sales is in my DNA! I’ve always had an entrepreneurial spirit and passion for sharing exciting and unique products with people ever since I could remember.
Carmen Miller-Branch: My role as VP of business development involves developing and managing our wholesale division for both Liberator's domestic and international sales channels. I oversee the formation of new business partnerships and expand relationships with our current vendors. This multi-faceted position is exciting because I have the opportunity of interacting with over 500 adult entities, each of them being unique. This job requires a lot of flexibility and emphasis on planning and executing varying strategies to increase sales. For example, our international business is experiencing double-digit growth. We are now selling Liberator in 16 countries worldwide and are currently involved with product development ventures with Saudi Arabia and India.
XBIZ: How did you get into the business?
Miller-Branch: Sales is in my DNA! I’ve always had an entrepreneurial spirit and passion for sharing exciting and unique products with people ever since I could remember. The adult/sexual wellness industry has always been intriguing to me. But it wasn’t until 2015 when the right opportunity with Liberator came around. I was first hired as the regional sales manager for the West Coast for Liberator. Then in 2016, I accepted the position for VP of business development.
XBIZ: What challenges have you confronted in your career and how have you overcome them?
Miller-Branch: As a woman working in the adult industry, or in the competitive world of sales in general, you’ve really got to have go-getter attitude along with the determination to work with all personality types. Nothing is ever as it seems and there is not a singular cookie cutter approach for building a successful brand or relationships. Throughout my career in sales, I’ve had ups and downs. However, I do not let anything deter me from success and use the lessons from the past to work as solutions for the present.
XBIZ: What is the most rewarding part of your job?
Miller-Branch: Building and developing relationships is what I find the most rewarding. My job with Liberator takes me all over the world. I have the chance to not only interact with spectacular people, but I get to see first-hand how the adult world is evolving. There is so much passion for our industry and it’s great being part of it.
XBIZ: What is your personal motto or mantra that you live by?
Miller-Branch: People at work are always amazed by my "can-do" personality and attitude. “Excellence is not a skill, it’s an attitude!”
XBIZ: What career accomplishment are you most proud of?
Miller-Branch: That’s a really good question. Working along the side of Liberator’s CEO and founder, Louis Friedman, is really exciting and everyday is a new adventure! But I would have to consider expanding the brand awareness in the Asian and Saudi market is a pretty huge accomplishment. Selling a sexual wellness product in very conservative countries is nearly impossible. There are so many rules and regulation. I'm really proud to be one of the first women who broke the barrier. It's like putting a cherry on a cake!
XBIZ: What are your professional goals for 2017?
Miller-Branch: Sexual wellness is a hot topic in 2017! And mainstream media is paying close attention to our industry along with the Liberator brand. My goal for this year is to expand brand awareness and take it mainstream. I want major department stores and big-box retailers feel assured that it’s okay to carry and sell a sexual wellness brand like Liberator. Their customers are ready and more open to purchasing sex products more than ever.
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.
