As part of XBIZ World’s “Execs of 2018: The Year in Review,” the digital media market's profiled Women in Adult (WIA) share their most memorable achievements of the year.
These renowned figures have mastered their respective businesses with tough-as-nails willpower, big ideas and inventive perspectives. By fostering teamwork and clearly communicating their goals, not to mention delegating with finesse and executing challenging initiatives, they have cemented their status as veritable forces of nature.
Each of the executives we spoke to below is among the finalist nominees for Woman of the Year in the digital edition of the 2019 XBIZ Exec Awards.
What was your most memorable achievement this year as a woman in adult?
Lauren MacEwen
7 Veils Media
“This year we have had a tremendous amount of expansion with the addition of Alex Lecomte as Director of Marketing and Sales, and Coriana Diaz as Director of Communications. I am so proud to be guiding 7 Veils into such incredible growth and expansion, and with so many talented people on my team. But what has been the most meaningful has been my expanding role as a mentor and resource for women in the industry. This year I have had many amazing women in the industry come to me for advice and mentorship. I am honored that they trust me and come to me for my help and opinions and I look forward to being able to do more as a woman in the industry for the women in the industry.”
Megan Stokes
New Media Group
“2018 has been a big year for my company. We implemented some newly requested services from our studios like tube management, in addition to expanding our cloud delivery system to our customers. My most memorable achievement though, has to be watching our little family of brands, that we are honored with and trusted to manage, grow. I honestly think we represent some of the best content in the marketplace! I know everyone says they have “The Best” content, but I am so proud of every studio on our roster. Not only are they excellent at what they do, but they are all so driven and creative. Most of our studios have been with us for years, so we are in this great place of being able to exchange knowledge while always pushing forward. It’s cheesy, but not only are they friends, but they are also great partners!”
Julia Grandi
Julmodels
“As a woman in adult I think this year’s most memorable achievement was to try myself as a producer for world famous brands Vixen/Tushy/Blacked/Blacked Raw. Early this year I got a phone call from Greg Lansky asking me to become EU producer for him, and I just couldn’t say “no.” Now I am shooting in the most incredible locations with the most beautiful talent. It took me 12 years of being a performer myself and then an agency owner and a paysite owner, to achieve this level and become a successful producer.”
Bella French
ManyVids
“I have to say 2018 has been very intense and I wouldn’t have it any other way. I am so proud of the MV Team and the hard work they’ve put in to help us achieve our goals. I feel so fortunate to be surrounded by two brilliant co-founders, Gino and Sed and how the MV Team has embraced a woman as a leader. My most memorable achievement as a female CEO in the adult industry is seeing how ManyVids has ignited a true revolution within our industry. Adult performers are empowered like never before to carve out their careers and their success and this is incredibly gratifying. More and more women are in control, there are more exposure and understanding toward the beautiful LGBTQ+ community and that is truly inspirational. This is just the beginning and I look forward to many years of hard work.”
Teresa Grisham Van Eps
Segpay
“I am fortunate enough to have many achievements this year! First, I was invited to speak on my first panel discussion, on the state of the adult industry at XBIZ Berlin. Helping add to the conversation about what we’ve learned over the past year, and how we can progress to drive our industry forward, was an extremely memorable experience. It was an honor to have been included among so many smart and thoughtful leaders. Next, being named WIA’s “Woman of the Month” in October. Achieving that type of recognition in a category of incredibly talented women had to rank as my most memorable moment. Finally, helping contribute to Segpay’s growth. We grew 30 percent in 2017 and we’re on a similar pace as 2018 comes to a close. We continue to aim high and we are entering some new territory beyond the adult space. It is extremely gratifying to be a part of a thriving company and helping so many other businesses succeed.”
Leah Callon-Butler
Intimate.io
“Just to be writing this paragraph for XBIZ feels a bit surreal! Having joined the industry little more than a year ago, I am humbled to receive this level of recognition alongside a stellar lineup of visionary leaders that I admire. The adult industry is a tight-knit clan of hardworking, intelligent and resilient people who have developed a pretty strong bullshit radar, so I am delighted to see how warmly we have been welcomed, and the global intimate.io partnership ecosystem (which includes 40+ major platforms) is a testament to this. As an XBIZ WIA, I am proud to join this group of pioneering women, many of whom I know will be friends for life. Over the coming year, I hope to keep paying it forward. Whether it’s a cam girl learning to transact in crypto, or a female blockchain dev gaining the confidence to explore her sexual desires, I want women everywhere to feel empowered and fearless.”
Kristel Penn
Grooby
“My most memorable achievement this year as a woman in adult has been when other women have approached me to say I’ve been a safe place in the industry for them. This has always been my personal and professional mission, and a responsibility I do not take lightly. Earlier this year I started a grad school program in counseling with that same intention in mind. I’m excited for the journey ahead — I believe the tools I’m learning will only benefit my long-term goals of creating more sustainable outlets for support for the adult community.”
Laurel Hertz
ARL Cash
“My most memorable achievement is to see our multinational team flourish and work in sync with our in-house team. It’s been very challenging, but rewarding to be able to work with so many great talented people across the globe from the U.S., U.K., Romania, Serbia, and Bulgaria. In addition, earning a few awards for our flagship project PascalsSubSluts.com has been incredibly rewarding. I’m looking forward to growing this brand even further into the U.S. market.”
Cristina Vasile
Rich Girls Studio
“The most important moments to me were winning the “Best Live Cam Marketing Strategy” prize at the LiveCam Awards, the “Best Training Program” prize at AW Awards and the “Best Cam Studio” prize at the YNOT Awards. We are also proud of our amazing Rich Girls models and happy for their impressive earnings, and motivated to fight even more for the number one spot in our industry. We are working with models who won important awards at an international level, including “Best Female Webcam Model” (LALExpo 2017, 2018), “Queen Award 2018” (AW Awards) and “Best Cam Model 2018” (YNOT Awards).”
