Each month, 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.
When you love what you do for a living, they say, you'll never work a day in your life. Stephanie Koelsch proves it's exactly the opposite: when you genuinely love your job, you'll put your nose to the grindstone on the daily to keep your customers smiling.
Continuing to assist my retailers, both newbies and veterans, in bringing passion and pleasure into their customers’ lives is my best and most hoped-for contribution.
Koelsch is a core member of Entrenue's small, local team in Arizona, where she serves retailers across the country as a sales executive for the exclusive sex toy distributor. Koelsch is the magic link between manufacturers and stores, providing customer support, product education and sexual wellness-based sales strategies that cover multiple brands in a single training session.
Koelsch earned her career wings in the alcohol industry, and it took some convincing to bring her over to the pleasure sector. Since that fateful day, though, Koelsch has come to believe that she's found her true calling.
Now, Koelsch says, she's constantly on the case for her customers, and there's no job too gigantic for an almost instantaneous solution. Next-day flights to assist with merchandising and outside-the-box retailer solutions are Koelsch's specialty — even if it means, as Koelsch jokes, lugging along her own ice sculpting tools.
With five years of the pleasure industry under her already well-earned belt, we can't wait to see what the rest of Koelsch's career holds for her. In this month's edition of Women in Adult, we're spotlighting Stephanie Koelsch as a woman to watch in the sex toy world.
XBIZ: What do you love about being a part of the sex toy business? What led you here?
Koelsch: Howdy! Previously working as a sales manager for a small, local vineyard in Arizona, the idea of working in the pleasure industry was not something I would have manifested in my wildest thoughts. Due to divine intervention — and a few glasses of wine — my world of grapes and the world of adult toys collided and voila, I became a lifer. I am thankful the industry found me, and couldn’t imagine a better fit professionally, or personally. The pursuit of happiness becomes a little easier when you love what you do. Having the opportunity to advocate for change, acceptance and normalcy within the industry is what drives me. Sexual health is total body health and witnessing the strides that have been made within my five years in the industry alone, I owe my fellow peers and advocates a big congrats for all that has been accomplished. And we’re just getting started!
XBIZ: What’s unique about working at Entrenue? What special talents do you feel you bring to your job?
Koelsch: I could fill this entire magazine with praises for Entrenue. We are a small but mighty team of industry veterans and professionals who value and enjoy setting up our retailers for success. We work closely with our vendor partners to tailor programs and retail strategies that truly enhance and help build up our brick-and-mortar and ecommerce clients. Being accessible and available to my clients when they need me most is where I shine. Need a recommendation? Ask me. Need assistance merchandising your store? I’ll be there tomorrow. Need to figure out a way to help your ecommerce site stand out? I will help it sparkle. Need a 10-foot-tall ice sculpture, carved to resemble a Magic Wand, delivered for your store grand opening today? Great, let me get my tools. I mean it when I say, “I will do what it takes to see my retailers succeed!”
XBIZ: Which fellow women in the industry have been your biggest career inspirations?
Koelsch: The entire sales and marketing team at Entrenue is made up of ambitious, driven and dedicated women. We are led by our fearless leader and appointed camp “cheer” counselor, Lily Wang, who has gone out of her way to provide endless support, education, friendship and beyond. Kim Maty, aka “The Oracle,” our senior buyer and account executive, has welcomed me with open arms and has led sales at Entrenue with integrity, while instilling the importance of sexual health education from the start. Val Kunau, our senior sales executive, is approaching 10 years with Entrenue, and continues to be my go-to for all questions big or small. She is our rock in the office. I am fortunate to be surrounded by an abundance of estrogen and the power it has to change the pleasure industry as a whole.
XBIZ: Which women-led sex toy brands are you and the Entrenue team really loving at the moment?
Koelsch: COTR, Dame and Lora DiCarlo are pioneers when it comes to women-led sex toy brands. Entrenue is focused on highlighting these pleasure industry staples while making room to support other women-led brands. Ohnut, created for those who experience pain during sex, offered up a solution for individuals who didn’t know they needed it most. Ohnut is a set of wearable rings that assists in customizing the depth of penetration. [Ohnut founder] Emily Saur's invention out of necessity has changed folks’ playtime from painful to enjoyable. It's innovation at its finest! I can’t wait to see what they come out with next.
XBIZ: What are your plans for the remainder of 2022, especially now that COVID regulations have calmed down? Will you be out and about at industry events and such?
Koelsch: The last two years have proven to be some of the slowest, while simultaneously being some of the fastest all at the same time. With countrywide restrictions being lifted, taking the opportunity to offer in-store trainings is something I will and have been taking advantage of this year. The beauty of working with a distributor like Entrenue is that we, as account executives, are toy experts and connoisseurs of hundreds of brands. I encourage my clients and retailers to take advantage of my training opportunities via video call or in store, as I can offer product knowledge detailing five, six, seven or 20 brands throughout a single education session. Offering key selling tips and tricks to sales floor staff and managers is what makes success come full circle.
XBIZ: What do you foresee within the next handful of years for your career with Entrenue and your overall personal development as a sexual wellness professional? What do you hope to achieve for yourself and your team?
Koelsch: It’s clear now, after experiencing what was a complete whirlwind over the past couple years, that pleasure is here to stay! We know now more than ever, as humans we look for ways to increase our connection to others as well as our connection to self-care. Understanding how important sexual health is to overall wellness has cemented my continued support and personal growth within the industry. Implementing existing core values and introducing new paths to change by supporting and upholding the people and products within this industry is what I look forward to the most on the horizon. Continuing to assist my retailers, both newbies and veterans, in bringing passion and pleasure into their customers’ lives is my best and most hoped-for contribution in years to come.
