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.
Kit Richardson believes there’s power in pleasure, and it’s about damn time we use it for good.
Seeing that I’ve been able to help at least one person is what inspires me to keep moving forward in this industry.
Since joining the Museum of Sex team three years ago, Richardson has proven herself an outspoken, smartly political and absolutely irreplaceable resource no matter where she’s found on the museum grounds.
This East Coast native arrived at MoSex, as it’s affectionately called, with a background in adult retail, fresh off the sales floor of The Velvet Lily in Philadelphia. That's impressive enough for a pleasure industry pro, but the real eye-catcher on her resume is her previous international career: Before moving to Philly, Richardson lived in Amman, Jordan and worked with the United Nations as a conflict mediator and resolution specialist in the Palestinian refugee crisis.
Before ever selling a single vibrator, Richardson experienced the true politics of sex in a conflict zone during a private documentary screening of the film “Would You Have Sex with an Arab?” by Yolanda Zauberman. Her eyes opened to the incredible impact of sex and love, Richardson subsequently made the decision to leave the U.N. and return to home to the East Coast, where she believed acting locally could have an even more global effect on the human race.
Now, as buyer and merchandiser at the Museum of Sex, Richardson has her hands happily dug into every proverbial pot in the garden. Selecting pleasure toys for the MoSex shop; merchandising on the sales floor; designing MoSex’s high-profile, Fifth Avenue window display; linking with consumers, MoSex floor staff, and the folks in the back office; and even providing the voice of a very pleased, orgasmic Earth Goddess for an exhibit. In other words, if it needs to be done at the Museum of Sex, Kit is the gal to call.
Like Richardson herself, her career story is multifaceted, delightfully unpredictable and undeniably fun. She spared no detail in retelling her inspiring life path for this month’s edition of Women in Adult. We certainly could go on, but we’ll leave the honors to the very deserving Woman of the Month.
XBIZ: I see that it’s been about three years since you took official employment with the Museum of Sex in New York City. Share a bit about your journey with the MOS team. Where did you begin in your career with MOS, and how did you progress to where you are now?
Kit Richardson: Every job that I have acquired, from “Inside the Actors Studio” to the United Nations, has required persistence. When I know what I want, I tend to go for it and with the Museum of Sex it was no different.
I was working at an adult boutique in Philly at the time and having gone to Pace University in NYC and having spent most of my life there, I knew I wanted to get back to the city — my city. They say if you can make it here you can make it anywhere, so to me that was the obvious next step in my career. However, when I called the museum, they were not hiring at the time. I insisted they at least let me send my resume, which they agreed to.
Minutes after sending my resume, I received a phone call asking to come in for an interview. Two interviews, four bus rides and probably a thousand outfit changes later, I was offered a position at the Museum of Sex. Within two weeks I found an apartment in Queens, packed up my life and began a new adventure in NYC.
Now, they didn’t have a position for me, so we created one. I was the lead sales and merchandising assistant. I became a bridge between the sales floor and the corporate office, mostly working the sales floor and perfecting my knowledge of brands and engaging with customers. Within the three years I’ve been at the museum I have been able to diversify the product selection, build solid rapport with vendors, incorporate more comprehensive and inclusive staff training, assist in achieving record-breaking sales, and create and teach free sex-ed workshops to our customers.
Last year I was made the official buyer and merchandiser for the Museum. It was an exciting promotion for me because it showed me that my hard work was valued and seen. This job and this industry are both my passion and vocation, and I have found a place that nurtures my skills and encourages my personal and professional development. I couldn’t be more thankful to the Museum for the opportunities they’ve granted me and their continuous support. I look forward to our continued growth.
XBIZ: What are your current responsibilities at the MOS, and what’s it like working there on a daily basis?
Richardson: My title is buyer and merchandiser at the Museum of Sex and it is quite encompassing of a myriad of duties and responsibilities.
I started at the museum in a blended role, so my progression at MoSex has also been pretty hybrid in and of itself. I am responsible for all things product: product selection, pricing, display, as well as staff product knowledge, vendor contracts, anticipating and following trends, monitoring stock levels, product design and my favorite, in-store marketing pushes.
Being on Fifth Avenue we have some fantastic window space that I love to fill with creative and innovative designs featuring brands that we carry. I’m all about creative liberties and the windows are such an exciting time to get together with brands and create next-level displays for product that are gripping to anyone that walks by.
MoSex windows are great. It’s the first thing people see of the museum. It’s a phenomenal way to begin the dialogue about sex and an attempt to normalize and destigmatize pleasure while promoting the latest toys in the industry.
It’s certainly never a dull day at MoSex, but without fail it always starts with an iced coffee and ends with a gin martini for me. Because my position is a hybrid, I have the privilege of working both in the office and down on the retail floor with sales staff. I divvy up my time between the two to make sure I can focus on more administrative and buying projects in the office such as reorders, meetings, etc. and then spend time on the floor interacting with customers learning the trends, what people are looking for, what people are saying about sex, and what their spending habits are and where they’re from.
It also allows me to see the floor, how the layout works, how products are doing, how staff are performing, find discrepancies in stock, and all first hand. I take what I learn from the floor and apply it to my corporate position in the office and then I get to experience my work from upstairs live and in action on the floor. I am able to witness what works, but also what doesn’t. I learn from my mistakes and failures and it enables me to progress and develop myself and the business.
XBIZ: Prior to working with MOS, what was your background in the pleasure and adult biz? How did it inspire you to keep moving forward in this career field?
Richardson: So, my background in the pleasure and adult biz started in a very peculiar way. I was working with the U.N. in Amman, Jordan as a conflict mediator and resolution specialist on the current Palestinian refugee crisis and was invited to a private screening of a documentary called “Would You Have Sex with an Arab?” by Yolanda Zauberman. The documentary was an exploration into the sex lives of Jews and Arabs in Tel Aviv, asking if they would have sex with a member of the opposite community.
The responses were raw and real and varied from tales of love to militant refusal. It was at this point I began to understand the role that sex can play in both fueling and solving conflict. I decided that my work in the U.N. was important, but if I wanted to see my work in action and real results, I would need to transition from global politics to something more grassroots and local. So I traded in my policies for butt plugs.
Once I finished my stay in the Middle East and Mediterranean, I decided to leave the U.N. and began working at the adult boutique The Velvet Lily in Philadelphia. From there, I pursued various sex-ed and business certifications and learned the ins and outs of the industry and progressed to the Museum of Sex.
Every day, I get to talk with people about sex, tackling guilt, shame and the pleasure gap. Seeing that I’ve been able to help at least one person is what inspires me to keep moving forward in this industry and to be an advocate for pleasure for all.
XBIZ: COVID closures aside, what current happenings at the museum are you most proud to have helped curate or organize?
Richardson: The museum is a multi-faceted institution. We have an adult store, a bar and a museum, all with the mission of advocating open discourse surrounding sex and sexuality in a safe space while striving to present the best in current scholarship unhindered by self-censorship.
Since inception the museum has featured over 30 exhibits throughout its five floors ranging on topics from the history of porn, camming and sex work [to] punk, animals and sex, shibari, trans identity and even an exhibit documenting the access to abortion.
My current favorite exhibit that I am proud to have been part of is our latest and I’d say largest project, Super Funland. Super Funland is a four-story interactive multimedia exhibit that begins with the exploration of the origins of the carnival and leads to sex-themed carnival games that can be played and prizes won. Prizes vary, from sex toys to naughty plushies to “Sex God” crowns, which on any given day can be found atop the heads on many tourists roaming the city.
One of my favorite games is the Deity Derby where sex gods from different cultures compete to make Mother Earth orgasm — it’s [essentially] sexy Skee-Ball. Participants race with one another while learning about their selected sex god. What truly makes it my favorite is that I got to be the voice of Mother Earth, so I am forever immortalized at MoSex ... as are my pleasure moans. I can’t even count the amount of times I’ve taunted our director of operations with the saying, “You are the world’s greatest sex god!”
I am thankful to all our sponsors, as well, who believed and supported this project, [like] We-Vibe, LELO, Cowgirl, Kangaroo, Entrenue, [and] so many more, and without their help it would not be the success it is today.
It’s not that Super Funland is just that super fun, it’s that this exhibit allows people to explore sex in a way that is educational, invigorating and exciting. Inhibitions dissipate. Fear and shame vanish. And these experiences lead to conversations about sex and sexuality that are so vital to be having right now. The most important part of the museum is not what happens in the museum, but the conversations, experiences and knowledge that are taken away and continued out into the world by our guests once they leave. I am proud as fuck to be a part of that.
XBIZ: I hear the MOS often features popular sex toys and other adult accessories in their shop. What are some of your favorites at the moment?
Richardson: What is great about the store is I get to combine art and sex into our offering. It’s this beautiful fusion of museum, gift store and adult novelty. I have so many favorites, as does the staff: Aneros, Sliquid, Doc Johnson, Exsens, Je Joue, Satisfyer, XR Brands. These companies consistently support myself and the staff and offer a solid selection that I can present to our customers so that there will always be something for someone.
My top three favorites that have been in our collection that we offer are the LELO Olga — because who doesn’t love 24-karat gold? — the High on Love Objects of Desire kit because if diamonds are a girl’s best friend then a diamond vibrator and a CBD clit stimulation oil are my soul mate, and the We-Vibe Chorus because who doesn’t want to a wear vibrator that syncs to "Livin’ On a Prayer" at the Bon Jovi concert at Madison Square Garden.
My favorite product in the whole store, though, would have to be our edition of the PansyAss Ceramics line. We have commissioned some pieces from PansyAss that include a bowl of penises and roses, butt-plug vases, bondage-boy key chains, sparkly cunt pins and much more. They combine art and sex in the way I believe the museum does and it’s the ultimate representation of MoSex. Art and kink all in one.
XBIZ: Working at a place quite literally dedicated to sex must offer some impressive insights into the present and future of the pleasure industry. What are some of the most interesting or important insights you’ve gained while working there?
Richardson: One of the biggest takeaways right now is the evolution of pleasure and sexual wellness. Customers are starting to buy consciously. They are looking for brands they can relate to with missions they themselves can stand with, no matter the price point.
Investing in people and products that have an element of social impact will prove resourceful and key to the progress of adult businesses and the industry as a whole. Businesses that feature and support professionals and products that are created, owned or developed by queer, black, indigenous, people of color and women, and put them at the center of their mission, are the future. We have the means to do it; therefore, we should.
We as adult businesses are safe spaces. Sex will always be popular and profitable, so it’s up to us to lead the charge on being inclusive, offering pleasure-based education, and working to destigmatize sex through innovative and creative measures. We must support one another. There cannot be sexual liberation without the inclusion of all.
XBIZ: What can the industry expect to see from MOS and your career in the coming months and into next year? Can you reveal anything exciting that you have planned?
Richardson: Our mission at the Museum of Sex is global, so we should be as well. *winky face*
