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.
This month, WIA focuses on the achievements of CAM4 Account Manager Vicki Gray. After all, CAM4 has made headlines this year by featuring celebrity cam models such as Sarah Russi and a range of top brand ambassadors, including Charlotte Stokely, Jasmine Jae and Romi Rain.
I am constantly connecting with performers, listening to them, helping them and giving them ideas on ways to broaden their brand.
Rain participated as a panelist in the inaugural XBIZ Virtual Town Hall, dealing with the ramifications of the COVID pandemic — a cause that the company has been active in responding to; including expanding its support of quarantined cam models and hosting a fundraising event to collect donations for those community members in need.
At every step, Gray has signal-boosted and executed CAM4’s mission.
The brand also extended their outreach to the community by becoming a bronze-level sponsor of Pineapple Support and held a virtual happy hour for fans and broadcasters seeking some social normalcy in a time of distancing and isolation. And the company’s global impact is reflected in its participation in Colombia’s “Red Rag” charity drive, which distributed food and supplies to people in need; and they started a fundraiser to fight the Australian bushfires that kicked off the new year.
With a strong presence across a variety of markets, CAM4 was named 2020 XBIZ Gay Cam Site of the Year, with highlights this year that include naming Max Konnor its first male brand ambassador; while they have further debuted a cross-regional content program to bring a featured collection of “The Latin Queens” to a broader North American audience.
Reaching out to fans and broadcasters alike, CAM4 launched a pair of podcasts this year, including “A Mouthful,” and “How’s It Hanging?” while Gray spearheaded efforts to educate and inform the broadcaster community with insightful monthly columns in XBIZ’s Cam World magazine, where she explored ways to manage fan messages and comments on social media; how to liven up quiet chat rooms; and offered tips and techniques for models entering the cam world, including how much to charge, how to market themselves and the best ways to engage fans with fun cam activities and more.
To learn more about Gray and her role in shaping the continued growth of this dynamic camming company and the content creators that fuel it, XBIZ turned to the Woman of the Month for some unique insights:
XBIZ: What did you do before joining the industry and why did you choose adult as a career path?
Gray: The decision to work in the adult industry was not necessarily something I sought out, but the opportunity came up and I knew I had to take it.
A little bit about myself: I did my bachelor’s degree and majored in sociology with a double minor in French and marketing. Throughout my bachelor’s, I was working promotional modeling jobs which ended up affecting my career a lot more than I thought it would!
I loved events throughout the university and once I completed my degree, I continued to complete an Event Management program, which brought me across a job listing for my current position with CAM4. I saw getting into the adult industry as a means to combine my interest in sexuality and gender, with my love for events.
XBIZ: What attracted you to joining the CAM4 team and how has your role for the brand evolved?
Gray: In my initial interview, I was given the lowdown on events I would have the opportunity to attend and told I would also be helping individuals reach their goals in the industry. I am also very much a “yes” man — I hate to pass up opportunities and think it’s important to explore different avenues without making initial judgments to find out what your likes and interests are.
I love working with the CAM4 team and a big reason why is because of the teamwork mentality and constant brainstorming that’s going on in the background. My role with CAM4 is to ensure performers have the knowledge and resources they need to be able to succeed on the site and enjoy camming!
XBIZ: You’ve been a strong educator and supporter of the community during these unprecedented times. How do you strive to provide performers with a sense of normalcy now, while helping them increase revenues since overall traffic is up?
Gray: It has been interesting maneuvering through quarantine. Many people, even myself at times, can easily fall into a slump working from home all because of COVID-19 and the toll it has taken on people’s mental health.
I have been trying to showcase camming as a great way to not only make money, but to connect with others in times of extreme isolation. Right now, camming allows people to earn money easily since most viewers are also at home. These individuals are logging onto CAM4, connecting with new performers and using the platform to not only connect, but be entertained.
It is important to voice the importance of “routine” to performers to keep physically and mentally healthy, but I also tell them to take advantage of the current times. Everyone is at home, overall traffic is up and people are lonely, so turn that webcam on and connect!
XBIZ: A group as diverse as CAM4 requires robust partnerships and the ability to bring together different businesses and viewpoints. How do you develop the relationships you need in your role as Account Manager to attract and retain consistent, high-quality broadcasters?
Gray: CAM4 is an extremely diverse platform and one of the most open-minded adult camming platforms that exist. When I first started, I thought the site was going to just be a million cams showcasing the traditional mainstream type of beauty, but then I took a look and realized CAM4 has something for everyone!
I find that many broadcasters in North America use camming as a way to make money on the site, and a lot of the time it’s linked back to the confidence behind the camera. Our most successful performers are not always your stereotypical girl/guy next door and they don’t need to be — the confidence is what the audience loves to see!
Over the past few years, we have developed many different partnerships that we find extremely exciting or provides viewers and fans with new content to enjoy. These partnerships have brought us new performers and new relationships with industry professionals we may not have reached without partnering together. As we expand our growth, we look forward to those partnerships and getting our performers involved.
XBIZ: What is the biggest challenge you’ve overcome in your work, the best score you’ve made in this industry and how have lockdowns affected these challenges and opportunities?
Gray: Every workplace comes with challenges, and for me, the adult industry is confusing for my family. I am completely open and honest with those around me regarding the industry I work in. I am proud of it and would never allow anyone to shame me or the amazing people I have met along the way.
Having to sit down and explain what I do on a day-to-day basis was hard for them to understand at first, but they have grown to love what I do because of how much joy it brings me!
A more recent “big score” made on CAM4 during quarantine has been our “CAM4 Happy Hour Show” that goes live every Friday from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. (EDT). Our lovely host Laura Desiree hosts weekly and we feature several new performers. It has been a huge crowd pleaser and a great way for broadcasters to interact with each other!
XBIZ: Is there anything else on your plate, business-wise, at CAM4 or elsewhere?
Gray: My biggest focus right now is CAM4 and bringing in new performers … if you are reading this and interested in learning more, make sure to contact us!
XBIZ: What does a typical workday look like?
Gray: Things have changed post-quarantine, but a typical day for me starts with yoga and working out. It’s a great way to get your brain started and blood flowing … also nice to get the workout out of the way first so that you can enjoy the rest of the day.
A lot of my day consists of recruiting new performers to our platform and helping existing ones. It’s all done behind a screen and with quarantine, it has made me and my colleagues even more available to broadcasters. I check in on the site throughout the day and evenings with hopes of coming across new broadcasters or giving some tips to ones performing.
I am constantly connecting with performers, listening to them, helping them and giving them ideas on ways to broaden their brand. The more I can help, the more success our performers will have.
XBIZ: What does a day off look like?
Gray: Work and play are a balancing act! When I open up my laptop, it’s pretty difficult to shut down and I constantly feel as though there’s one more thing to do that can’t be done later or tomorrow. There isn’t enough time in a day and one task then turns into a million tasks!
I found that creating a schedule for myself has helped me balance work and play. Following a detailed schedule allows me to not overwork and gives me the ability to enjoy the world around me.
If it’s a day off, I still make sure to work out and be outside as much as possible! Spending most of my day inside behind a computer screen makes it tough to get sunlight, so on a day off, I love grabbing my yoga matt, 420-friendly gear, a great book and enjoying the sun for as long as I can … a pasty Vicki is usually not a happy one.
XBIZ: How do you stay motivated and what do you define as “achieving success” in both your personal and work life?
Gray: I have always been a very self-motivated individual. My mom raising me had a very “no bullshit” attitude and if you don’t do something, no one else will, so get off your butt and get it! I do allow myself time to rest and I understand that we all need a breather sometimes, but not being active - whether it’s work or our personal lives - will be what kills all motivation.
I also think that having hobbies and interests are key motivators because they can make you happy and for me, I am at my best when I feel like I have an overall well-rounded routine. It’s hard to define what “achieving success” means, but I found that setting mini goals and celebrating small achievements keeps people more motivated rather than always idolizing one major achievement. Set small goals that can get you there and that can make whatever the ultimate goal is more achievable.
XBIZ: What plans do you have for the future or do you live in the moment, day-by-day?
Gray: I have financial goals in mind that I work towards and saving money is extremely important to me. I would love to own an additional property in the future and that’s a plan I constantly work towards.
In terms of marriage, kids and all that jazz — I take that on more of a day-by-basis. I have a significant other who is supportive of my current goals and knows where my mindset is at.
XBIZ: What is the single best bit of advice you could give to someone starting as a broadcaster on CAM4?
Gray: Consistency and confidence are key, and both go hand in hand. When first starting on CAM4, I recommend putting in a lot of hours. When you first start on the site, you have a “new” tag; take advantage of that and put in hours, gain a fan base and then you can begin to lessen your hours and set more of a strict schedule.
Another important factor is your profile; it’s worth it to put in the effort and show viewers a profile they would want to subscribe to. Use high-quality pictures, have a clean cam space, grow your social media presence and stay consistent!
