Emilie Rosan relocated from her hometown of Paris to join Fun Factory USA, based in Burbank, Calif., more than a year ago to strengthen the brand’s customer relations and communication. Although her position at Fun Factory is her first in the pleasure products industry, Rosan’s previous professional experiences have all revolved around three key elements — sex, fun and communication — which are essential to her current role. In this month’s WIA Woman of the Month Spotlight, Emilie Rosan shares her experiences representing the international Fun Factory brand.
What is your role and responsibility at Fun Factory USA?
I am a Capricorn, and we are known to be miserably anxious. I am no exception to this rule, so Buddhist mantras such as [“No Death, No Fear”] help me calm down and stay confident. —Emilie Rosan
I am the marketing manager for Fun Factory North America. I am also the sales manager for Canadian accounts.
What is a typical day at the office like for you?
My typical day starts around 9 a.m. with calls to our headquarters in Germany. There is a nine hour difference between Los Angeles and Berlin, so I have to make these calls first thing. The purpose of these calls is usually to coordinate product launches, and stay up to date on product development or marketing campaign plus discuss any changes in pricing or brand guidelines. Then I make calls to my customer on the East Coast of Canada in Montreal and Toronto. After 11 a.m., I am usually writing proposals and putting together marketing material for our sales team. There is no typical day after 11 a.m. for me, I may be writing a PR, getting quotes from Chinese vendors to produce a new Fun Factory store display, updating our quarterly marketing plan or marketing budget or helping decide how to price a new toy in North America.
We are a small team and there is a lot of communication between all members of the team throughout the day, including with the warehouse managers. I run back and forth from the office to the warehouse five times a day on average. I also talk with Fred, Memo, April and Patty constantly throughout the day.
How did you get into the adult novelty business?
I started working for Fun Factory USA in May of 2011. I lived in France at the time, my home country. I flew to Germany to meet the team and got hired by the Germans for a position in the U.S. I left my job in Paris to move to sunny Los Angeles! I was always very interested in the industry. As a consumer, I knew a ton about toys and always wanted to find myself working for a premium novelty brand such as Fun Factory. Fun Factory was my favorite company — it’s funky, irreverent, European. I like to think that these adjectives describe me well as a person also!
What challenges have you confronted in your career and how have you overcome them?
Generally speaking, one of my biggest challenges with my career has been to make choices. I went to Vassar College in New York and changed majors three times. Once I graduated, I joined the circus in San Fran, then moved back to France for a theater company, switched careers in 2009 to join a big corporation offering consulting services in communications, was somewhat unsatisfied and searched for a job in the novelty industry two years later. The way for me to overcome my indecisiveness was to keep searching for a career that feels like the ultimate fit, and I finally found an industry I love.
My biggest challenge when coming to Fun Factory was that I had very little time to learn about the retail industry. I had a lot to learn about how our retail customers work. I had worked in B2B, in the service industry, and was not very familiar with B2C and the world of consumer goods. The way to overcome this challenge was to work day in day out for the first year on the job at Fun Factory.
What is the most rewarding part of your job?
The most rewarding part of this job is that I work with one of the most exciting teams I have ever known. I work with Fred, April, Memo and Patty. I also love having responsibilities in several departments at Fun Factory. I do sales, marketing, and PR. I get to work with the product development team, the finance department and more.
What is your personal motto or mantra that you live by?
“No Death, No Fear” is the title of a book by Vietnamese Monk Tich Naht Hanh. I am a Capricorn, and we are known to be miserably anxious. I am no exception to this rule, so Buddhist mantras such as this one help me calm down and stay confident. Even if I don’t fully understand what “No Death, No Fear” means, just saying these words gets me to stop biting my nails and worrying like crazy about tomorrow.
What career accomplishment are you most proud of?
My top accomplishment is doubling business in Canada over the course of 12 months. I want to add that I have a soft spot for the people of Quebec. Fun Factory had disappeared from the Quebec market from 2009 until 2011. I worked particularly hard to bring Fun Factory back in Quebec, where the brand is now becoming extremely popular again.
What are your professional goals for the remainder of 2012 and beyond?
I need to help Fun Factory launch a new revolutionary toy in 2013 — the Stronic. I want this launch to be the buzz of 2013 in the industry. Apart from his, my plan is to attend an evening MBA program in L.A. by end of 2013 (graduation in 2016). I love school, I always loved school!
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.
