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WIA: Kristin Zuri-Godskind Draws on Deep Expertise to Elevate Sportsheets

After 18 years in the pleasure products industry, Kristin Zuri-Godskind has experienced the business from nearly every angle. Her career has taken her through retail, merchandising, management, distribution, sales, product education and manufacturing, giving her a perspective shaped as much by the sales floor as by the relationships she has built along the way.

Ariana Rodriguez ·
opinion

Why Retail Expertise Is Essential When AI Tools Analyze Store Data

Somewhere in one of our stores, someone scanned a barcode into a quantity field. The number entered was 8,388,607. At $19.99 per unit, that made a single line item worth roughly $167 million. The number was so large that the import failed immediately.

Zondre Watson ·
trends

Why Adult Retailers Need Better Training on Disability, Chronic Health

Every customer who walks into an adult store brings a different body, comfort level and set of needs. Retail staff already know how to ask the basics: Do you prefer vibration or suction? Are you using water-based or silicone lubricant? Do you have a latex allergy? What size are you comfortable with?

Mersy Love ·
profile

YourVids' Gino on Listening, Learning and Putting Creators First

Get Gino talking about the work creators pour into their careers, and his passion quickly becomes contagious. He deeply appreciates the people powering the business and has firm ideas about what they deserve in return.

Jackie Backman ·
profile

Vendo CEO Mitch Platt Reflects on 20 Years of Lessons and Evolution

More than 20 years ago, three entrepreneurs in Barcelona began gathering over beers to pitch, dissect and routinely destroy one another's business ideas. The ritual was simple: One person arrived with a concept, while the other two tried to expose every weakness. Any proposal that survived earned another look. Most did not.

Jackie Backman ·
profile

Abby Rose on Camming, Connection and Creative Chaos

Abby Rose has mastered the art of viewing life through rose-colored glasses, finding the good in even the most challenging circumstances. With the bubbly charm of Elle Woods and the steely determination of G.I. Jane, she pairs a resilient spirit with a deep love for bringing people together.

Jackie Backman ·
opinion

How to Avoid the Hidden Risks of AI-Generated Legal Documents

Artificial intelligence can write a contract in seconds, but that does not mean it can write the contract your business actually needs. Across the adult industry, operators, creators and producers are increasingly using generative AI to prepare model releases, performer agreements, privacy policies, takedown notices, employment documents and responses to regulators. The appeal is obvious: Legal work is expensive, AI is fast and the resulting document often looks impressively professional. That polished appearance is exactly what makes the practice dangerous.

Corey Silverstein ·
profile

Anastasia's Bedroom Founder Chelsea Mani Bridges Ecommerce With Local Events

Chelsea Mani spends her weekends at local markets, where she displays an assortment of lingerie ranging from new lace bodysuits and silky robes to carefully sourced, cleaned and pressed vintage pieces. Passersby stop to examine the fabrics, ask questions and sometimes find themselves opening up unexpectedly.

Jackie Backman ·
profile

Karla Lane Talks Curves, Confidence and Career Longevity

With her killer curves poured into a slinky silver dress, longtime performer Karla Lane swept onto the XMAs stage in Miami earlier this year to claim the trophy for BBW Premium Social Media Star. As she ascended the steps, presenter and fellow performer Vicki Chase purred, "Come on, big mama," in a playful nod to Latto's viral anthem.

Jackie Backman ·
opinion

How Rolling Reserves Affect Cash Flow and Merchant Stability

You log in to your payment processor’s dashboard, discover they are withholding 10% of your sales, and immediately assume something has gone wrong. In reality, everything is working exactly as intended.

Jonathan Corona ·
opinion

Creator Tips for Turning AI Prompts Into Effective Promos

Creating great content is only half the job. Every photo set, clip, custom video, pay-per-view message, bundle and subscription offer still needs to be marketed, and finding fresh ways to promote the same material can become just as exhausting as creating it.

Megan Stokes ·
profile

Protecting Your Reputation, Privacy and Peace as a Creator

As an adult creator, your online reputation can directly affect bookings, brand partnerships, fan relationships and future opportunities. A leaked post, a troll campaign, an out-of-context screenshot, or a hostile interaction can damage the brand you have built and disrupt your peace of mind. People say this business requires thick skin, but what you really need is steel with a Teflon coating: strong enough to take the hits and slick enough to keep the nonsense from sticking.

Lana Del Bae ·
opinion

What Federal Age Verification Could Mean for Adult Websites

Our industry has grappled with a patchwork of confusing and burdensome state age verification laws for the past couple of years. But that landscape could change quickly after the House passed the Kids Internet and Digital Safety (KIDS) Act (H.R. 7757) by a vote of 267-117, marking a significant federal step into this space.

Lawrence G. Walters ·
opinion

The Website Footer Requirements Every Adult Merchant Should Know

Since I started in this business 25 years ago, I've watched website footers evolve from a simple collection of links designed to help with SEO into important tools for meeting compliance and regulatory requirements, improving the customer experience and reducing chargebacks.

Cathy Beardsley ·
opinion

Why E-Payment Diversification Matters for Merchant Stability

Match payment methods to your customers. Look at where your customers are located, how they prefer to pay and which products they purchase. A business with significant European traffic may benefit from SEPA or Pay by Bank, while a subscription-based business may prioritize ACH or cryptocurrency. Add the payment methods your customers are most likely to use, as not every option is available.

Jonathan Corona ·
profile

Staying Power: Justin Ross on Two Decades of Building Screaming O

Ironically, it was a single-use, disposable vibrating ring that became the foundation of The Screaming O, transforming a basic foil pouch into the launchpad for a pleasure-product brand that has endured for over two decades.

Ariana Rodriguez ·
trends

AI at Work: The Tools and Practices Powering Creativity, Commerce and Compliance

For years, artificial intelligence felt like the plot of a science-fiction movie. Pop culture gave us Skynet from “The Terminator,” the replicants of “Blade Runner” and countless visions of machines replacing human creativity altogether. AI was cast as either humanity's next great breakthrough or the beginning of a dystopian future.

Jackie Backman ·
profile

WIA: Nasstoys' Suzy Contreras Drives Sales With Personal Connection

Suzy Contreras' journey into the pleasure products industry has been steady and carefully cultivated. Across departments, accounts and nurtured relationships, Contreras has demonstrated commitment and passion at each step.

Ariana Rodriguez ·
opinion

Key Questions Online Merchants Should Know About PCI Compliance

Choosing a payment provider involves more than comparing features and pricing. It's also about trusting that your customers' payment information is being handled securely. Every August, Segpay is recertified as a Level 1 PCI-compliant service provider, a milestone the company has achieved for the past 20 years. Having helped write Segpay's original PCI policy documents more than two decades ago, I've seen firsthand how PCI compliance has evolved.

Cathy Beardsley ·
profile

Hannah Tyer Reveals the Inspiration Behind 'Touch Therapy' Couples Card Game

Relationship therapist Hannah Tyer believes there's a better way to get to the heart and soul of your sexual differences, and she's crafted a deck of cards to show couples the way.

Colleen Godin ·
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