The year was 1997, Bill Clinton was entering the second term of his Presidency, “The Titanic” was the highest grossing film of all time, the New York Times was printing its first color photograph and I was downloading Playboy pictorials with a 56.6K modem, which was considered high speed at the time. The images took forever to load. Slowly, a face began to emerge on the low-resolution monitor, then a fantastic pair of breasts revealed themselves, followed by a tanned, toned belly, a vagina with that classic 90s landing strip and finally, a killer set of legs. It would be years before I fell professionally into the industry I now call home, but so began my humble journey into the world of online pornography.
After high school, I took time off to decide what I really wanted to do for a living. I worked a few random jobs to earn a bit of money while still living with my parents. Whether I was hustling the latest console at EB Games or managing a self-storage facility, I learned very quickly what I didn’t want to do for the rest of my life. However, with a sharp eye for design and a keen sense of strategy, I finally landed on marketing. After completing a few college courses, I got my very first job in an advertising agency, where I cut my teeth on some pretty high profile, multimillion-dollar accounts. I was 21 at the time.
I was able to attend my very first XBIZ show in Los Angeles and I immediately fell in love with what was once described to me as summer camp for adults.
After jumping from client to client, agency to agency and city to city, I applied for yet another marketing support position at what I thought was just another agency. However, I soon discovered that I would be working for a leading live cam company in their marketing department. I knew nothing about camming or the adult entertainment industry, or of the doors that they would open up for me, but I knew that for the first time, I was fired up about something.
About a year into my new career, I was able to attend my very first XBIZ show in Los Angeles and I immediately fell in love with what was once described to me as summer camp for adults. I was hooked on that community feeling and I knew that this was where I belonged. Now, at this point, I was still considered an executive within the industry, even though I had aspirations of getting out from behind a desk. It wasn’t until I got into a heated argument with a former colleague about performer marketing, that I realized what I had to do in order to gain any real perspective as an adult entertainment marketer … I had to get naked in front of a camera.
The first time I got booked for a scene, I was so nervous that I couldn’t even perform. That’s right, I couldn’t get it up to save my life. The female talent was very understanding (more understanding than the director was) and with her help, I was able to get my confidence back so that I could perform the scene. When the scene was finally released, I knew that there was no turning back, because once your junk is on the internet, it’s on the internet forever. But I have to tell you something, in that brief moment of anxiety and remorse, I felt an overwhelming calm wash over me. I thought to myself, this is the most liberating moment of my life.
From there on out, I knew that I could never be blackmailed by anyone over a leaked nude and I knew that I would always be part of a special club, a family of fearless individuals who would always have my back. I started performing as a way to further my career, but after spending time with other performers, I stay for the camaraderie on set and for the feeling I get from creating something unique and original that other people around the world will enjoy. I assume the feeling we receive is similar to what’s felt by people on a Hollywood movie set or in a music studio, but there’s one key difference and it’s that we’re naked when we’re doing what we love. We’re able to be completely vulnerable in the moment while we create, and there’s nothing purer or more rewarding than that.
