Connie Perignon spent much of her 20s pursuing a corporate career. She began in the fashion industry doing public relations and marketing for brands encompassing streetwear, contemporary, high-end couture and more, before transitioning into the tech space for a search engine optimization agency on the social media side.
“It was something totally new to me, but I took to it well, so my next foray was working in the digital marketing space for a multibillion-dollar beverage company,” she reminisces.
There’s actually very little distinction between me as a person and ‘Connie Perignon’ as a brand. I stay pretty authentic to who I am, which is why I think I resonate with fans.
“It was the most challenging job ever. I was one of the youngest people in my office, doing activations and putting on events in music, art, sports and more, but it was so rewarding,” Perignon adds.
It was there that she really learned how to be a marketer, but after some years, she decided to stop working for someone else and began selling adult content and escorting. “This was a huge change, but probably the best decision I've ever made,” she reflects.
That decision led her to what is fast becoming a vibrant career as both a studio-shot performer and independent content creator with more than 340,000 followers on Twitter, Playboy opportunities, an OnlyFans with 75,000 likes and growing, as well as media appearances ranging from Hustler to a Pornhub podcast with the legendary Asa Akira. Now, as Creator of the Month, she sheds light on her aspirations and journey thus far in this exclusive interview.
XBIZ: What led you to join the adult industry?
PERIGNON: I had dabbled in sex work when I turned 18 but quit that to pursue a corporate career. Years later, in my mid 20s, I re-entered the space, now older and firmer with what I really wanted and my boundaries. Honestly, I had never imagined I would get into mainstream porn before last year. I had always turned down offers to do porn. But one day, Jules Jordan slid into my DMs, and I thought, "Why not? This will make for a great story one day." That first video blew up online, and that's when I decided to really pursue this new career path.
XBIZ: How have you evolved professionally and personally since becoming a performer and creator?
PERIGNON: I've grown so much in the last eight months. I have always been good at almost anything I've tried, so it was a very humbling experience to watch my first scene and be mortified at my performance. I'm my worst critic, so I thought I would go into a dysmorphic spiral seeing myself in these awful angles that will exist on the internet forever. Instead, I analyzed why I disliked my performance and started studying, researching, practicing, watching a lot of porn and taking notes. I wanted to be good at my craft. Even now, I'm still learning and growing, but with each scene, I get better and better. It's been a lot of fun to try something new and establish myself in this new venture.
XBIZ: Discuss your content monetization strategies for OnlyFans.
PERIGNON: For OnlyFans, I mainly focus on delivering quality scenes shot in collaboration with other performers. Producing your own content is a lot of work, but it's where most of the money is, and you get an excuse to fuck hot people from the internet! You also get to own the content forever, so no matter what sites go down, you get to sell it forever. On top of collaborations, I also make solo content, sell custom videos, sext with subs and offer packages and games like “spin the wheel.” To be successful at OnlyFans, you need to utilize a couple of different strategies.
XBIZ: Talk about your work with Playboy.
PERIGNON: It was unreal to be invited to the Playboy office for onboarding onto their creator platform. Working with Playboy has always been a goal of mine since I was a teen. I even have two Playboy bunny tattoos, one being on my right palm! As of right now, I’m just a creator on their platform, but I’m hoping to do more with them in the future. Becoming a cover model for them is the ultimate dream for me, so fingers crossed; let’s make some magic happen!
XBIZ: How do you balance livestreaming with producing content?
PERIGNON: I definitely prioritize content production over livestreaming at the moment. Content is more lucrative for me than livestreaming, but I want to do more in that space. There’s a group of performers who livestream on Instagram, and I mostly use that to engage directly with the fans and gain followers. We'll have fans show us their special talents, do tricks … it's actually pretty wholesome and cute. This year I think I'd also want to try my hand at Twitch streaming.
XBIZ: What is your brand, as far as overall style, vibe and personality?
PERIGNON: There's actually very little distinction between me as a person and “Connie Perignon” as a brand. I stay pretty authentic to who I am, which is why I think I resonate with fans. I'm loud and self-deprecating, and I don't take shit too seriously. Aesthetically, I love excess — so much gold jewelry, long nails, long lashes, maximalism and being always dressed up. But that's just who I've always been. I've been told I'm way nicer and “smiley-er” in person versus on the internet, but that's just because the internet can be a sad, depraved place, and you need to protect your energy. I'm definitely a people person.
XBIZ: Tell us about a few of your proudest achievements this past year.
PERIGNON: Honestly, pursuing this porn career and establishing myself as a mover and shaker is something I've been very proud of. I've always been someone who's very rejection-averse, and I historically do not try things that I don't think I'll be successful at off the rip. So despite how I felt about my first scene, I pushed myself to break out of that thinking and work even harder at this so I could improve and be better. I have no agent, so every gig I've gotten has been me reaching out, networking and harassing people to give me a chance. It hasn't been easy at all, and I've thought about giving up countless times, but I'm still here and I'm still trying. That in itself is probably what I'm most proud of. I live with so much imposter syndrome, so it is so affirming for me to have performers who have a decade-plus in the industry not only know who I am but be fans of my work.
XBIZ: What is your approach to social media marketing to build a community?
PERIGNON: Consistency and authenticity. I've been building this brand for the last 11 years. I had the fortune of having people following me for nearly a decade, from when I was just a regular marketing girl on the internet. They've watched me blossom into the person I am now, and because of that, it's created these deep connections and a strong fan base that just translated into porn. All I know how to do is be myself, so I always lead with that. I have a very polarizing personality; you either love or hate me. I'm grateful for the fans who follow me beyond being a sexy girl online.
XBIZ: What's next for you in 2023 and beyond, as far as goals?
PERIGNON: I plan to work harder than I ever have in 2023. I got my first nomination a little over six months into the industry, so I'm more determined than ever to do more and really prove my place here. I would love to get an exclusive contract this year, but I want to work for a few more companies to see where I feel it is the right fit. I want to do more mainstream projects and execute some marketing ideas I have. I'm planning to move back to LA by the fall after spending the last 13 years in New York City, and I feel like things will really ramp up once I'm there. I have so many goals and dreams this year! Being surrounded by so many talented, driven performers makes me want to step my game up. This will be the “Year of Perignon,” you can count on that.
