How and when did you get into the business?
In 2001 —wow, time flies! —I was working at a miserable nine-to-five job and learned that a few friends were toying around with promoting adult sites and their results were quite successful. So, I thought I would give it a try in my free time and as they say, the rest is history. At that time there was still a great deal of unexplored opportunity in the industry and within three years I was working full time as a webmaster and haven’t looked back.
I believe one of the challenges we are all faced with is learning to really know and understand our product lines, their niche, the customer base that niche appeals to and why.
What in your background prepared you for what you are doing now?
There are many experiences that have culminated to prep me for my current role as vice president of marketing for MetArt. Working as an affiliate myself was a key element because I learned the strategies of traffic generation and customer conversion and the importance of creative marketing. My role as product manager of Club Jenna gave me first hand knowledge of content production, site development and business integration. I gained insight into branding and marketing strategy and learned valuable tools for working with and managing a diverse team at Playboy as senior marketing manager of affiliate programs.
What do you see as the challenges of working in the adult online business? How do you overcome them?
Adult content is very diverse and it’s a mistake to believe that all porn is the same. I believe one of the challenges we are all faced with is learning to really know and understand our product lines, their niche, the customer base that niche appeals to and why. When you are familiar with your content and your target audience, you can expand your customer market and utilize your content to it’s full capacity without alienating your core customer base. It’s critical to dig in and explore your product and stay committed to delivering an end-product that is true to the quality and style that your customers demand.
Does your work life affect your personal life?
Yes, my work life affects my personal life in a very positive way! Being part of a virtual company —and more importantly part of the MetArt family — provides me a great deal of flexibility in scheduling which is absolutely a necessity for me. It also creates an environment that for me, personally, fuels my creativity and productivity in both my career and my personal life.
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. Women like Jill Taylor, Vice President Of Marketing, Metart