Over 23 years ago, Juicy Jay started in the adult industry as an affiliate marketer. He dropped out of college to focus full-time on his burgeoning career, then leveraged a $300 website acquisition into a million-dollar business.
As a self-taught programmer, Jay founded JuicyAds in 2006, building the advertising platform from the ground up to now handle more than a billion ad impressions daily.
I structure and execute deals weekly, understand how business works and never stop learning. That’s what sets Broker apart and why we are now the largest adult brokerage.
Since then, he has founded a marketing, strategy and consulting firm for adult brands, spent the last three years in venture capital as an angel investor building up his portfolio of startups and, most recently, launched the Broker.xxx business brokerage outfit.
As “The Dealmaker” for Broker.xxx, he has turned it into a premier marketplace for people looking to buy and sell adult websites, domains and businesses. With JuicyAds well-heeled and firing on all cylinders, Jay has freed up his time and energy to focus more and more time on Broker.xxx.
Decorated with numerous industry awards and accolades, Jay looks forward to a bright future for his wide-ranging ventures, as he helps clients make big exits. In this executive seat interview, he opens up about the road traveled thus far, as well as the fast-approaching horizon towards which he races.
XBIZ: Discuss the genesis of Broker.xxx and what inspired its founding.
JAY: I came into ownership of a domain portfolio as part of another deal. It included hundreds of top keyword/one-word domains. I didn’t want to keep them, so I built a website to sell them off. After the press releases went out about brokering them, I got an email out of the blue from this guy asking if I was going to stick with just selling domains or if I was going to start selling websites too.
I was happy doing deals outside the limelight, but this person made it clear there was an old and tired market in need of disruption. So a few months later, I launched Broker.xxx, and after much hard work, it has grown to be the largest adult marketplace for buying and selling websites and domains. And since I’ve always wanted an excuse to wear a top hat, our logo needed to have a top hat. I wish I were kidding, but it’s true.
XBIZ: Talk about the team behind Broker.xxx and how you work together to fulfill your ambitions.
JAY: I’ve been working with Jimmy “Wizzo” every day for around a decade. We talked a few times about opening a brokerage. When the decision came to switch from JuicyAds to Broker, Jimmy didn’t flinch and jumped on board with me. We have a mutual respect for each other and hand off tasks that play to each other’s strengths. It has been handy to have a working partner when we have to represent the interests of two people independently, which happens most often when there are multiple buyers for a property. We have also added more members of the team, all of whom are top-caliber talent.
XBIZ: Let’s talk numbers. What are a few significant milestones you’ve hit since launching in 2020, such as growth, clients served, deals made, etc.?
JAY: We were recently nominated for Emerging Web Brand of the Year and have 11 relevant award nominations amongst our team and brand. There are over 2,100 website and domain listings currently on the marketplace and over $20 million in possible acquisitions. Over 3,000 people visit Broker.xxx per day. With five brokers and a growing team of over 10 adult industry professionals, we have a combined experience of over 80 years in the adult industry. Deals move so fast and closing dates are all over the place, so we don’t track them at the moment.
XBIZ: How have you leveraged your multifaceted experience to better serve the market for buying and selling adult websites, domains and businesses?
JAY: I’ve been in the industry for over 23 years now, and very few have been around longer. Some people think I just started brokering, but I’ve been doing mergers and acquisitions my whole adult life since I was 17 years old. I went from being a small publisher to a whale affiliate and then the founder and CEO of one of the world’s largest advertising networks. I’ve become pretty well connected through JuicyAds. I know all the big companies because they advertise with us, and the publishers, too. Joining those two parties for advertising is similar to connecting buyers and sellers for brokering.
The varied experiences have provided me with a unique and powerful synergy for doing a wide range of deals and negotiations. I’m talking about deals that are beyond normal that most people don’t have experience with. I negotiated my divorce, I’ve dealt with lawsuits and litigation, contracts for equity and terms for venture capital investments, purchases for bare land acquisitions, real estate investments and even a restaurant. Because I’ve had the opportunity to learn from all those uniquely different transactions, it makes me a better negotiator and deal-maker for my clients.
Business brokering comes naturally to me because I’ve personally built many companies and done these deals not just for others, but for myself. I structure and execute deals weekly, understand how business works and never stop learning. That’s what sets Broker apart and why we are now the largest adult brokerage.
XBIZ: How do you balance your own efforts between Broker.xxx, JuicyAds and other responsibilities?
JAY: I focus on my energy levels, prioritize the most critical tasks and do my best to say “no” to new projects to protect my time. I’ve focused most of the last year on the team at JuicyAds, which has me leading more and working less. The essential part of running multiple companies is making good decisions quickly, focusing on what is most important, and not letting stupid shit get in the way. It’s about having the discipline to do the work that needs to be done each day.
XBIZ: As a contributing columnist sharing “Adventures in Dealmaking” advice, what are the key lessons, in a nutshell, that buyers and sellers should heed?
JAY: Dealmaking and brokering are about so much more than just deciding on a price and transferring the assets.
For website sellers, my advice is straightforward: keep running your website “business as usual” while we sell it for you. Strive for bulletproof financials and don’t play games. Most of all, have realistic expectations of what your business is worth based on profits, and don’t rely on charging for “potential.”
We can evaluate your business and tell you what it’s worth and likely to sell for. For example, recently, a seller came to us with an outside $20 million valuation for a “business” without any form of financials and presumably no revenue. That is total nonsense with zero chance of selling.
I want buyers to know from experience that it is easier to acquire than to build. Everything takes work, and truly passive income is rare. But most of all, you need to take significant risks to get big rewards, but those risks need to be calculated and decisions made with eyes wide open and not blind.
Above all, no matter if you are a buyer or seller, if you agree to a deal, you need to honor it. Do not strike a deal if you aren’t going to close. Backing out later only hurts your reputation.
XBIZ: How do you execute your mission to go beyond basic deal brokering with strategy, consulting and business development services?
JAY: You have to go beyond expectations. Most businesses suffer from the same problems no matter what industry they are in. Because I’ve solved all sorts of issues at my own companies, it has given me the knowledge to help others solve a vast range of problems. Those strategies and advice come free when clients buy or sell properties via Broker. I don’t succeed unless they do.
XBIZ: Share the ways that the market-at-large has changed over time, and how you’ve positioned Broker.xxx to stay ahead of the curve.
JAY: Before Broker.xxx, there had been no innovation in adult website and domain sales. You had people trying to sell through friends or forums and very limited options for serious website owners and business people. We have brought forward a fantastic team of respected people and technology never seen before in this adult space. Our second-generation platform just launched, putting us into competition with mainstream domain brokerages.
XBIZ: Talk about your approach to marketing and expanding your reach.
JAY: Above all, I like to have fun with marketing and let the creativity flow. My favorite thing is seeing materials coming out of the creative department for the dozen or so brands my agency represents, and being able to immediately say “I love it.” It is important to be agile, push boundaries and have brand consistency; these are vital to long-term success.
XBIZ: What are your goals for the coming year?
JAY: I want to do less, spend more time with my family and get back into mountain biking and video games. I am also spending more time with the founders I have invested in over the years to ensure those investments grow into great returns long-term. Otherwise, my primary goals are related to the growth of both JuicyAds and Broker. The team is executing well at JuicyAds so Broker is my primary focus right now. But, I’m always looking for my next side-hustle opportunity.