Each month, 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.
In 2019, after almost a decade of performing for adult studios, Brett Rossi attended UCLA to earn her paramedic license. After working as an EMT during the pandemic, however, she quickly realized the career was not for her.
As head of creators, it is my responsibility to not only recruit, but also to educate current and potential creators on how they can maximize their earnings on Unfiltrd.
Instead, she began focusing exclusively on producing her own content. She made YouTube videos and shot full-time for her site, while regrouping and figuring out how she could rebrand herself. In the process, Rossi realized that she wanted to be on the corporate side of the industry, where her entrepreneurial and performing experience would make her an asset and help her advocate for talent.
When she was offered a job as head of creators for indie content platform Unfiltrd, she recalls, she felt ecstatic to finally have an opportunity to help other creators maximize their own brands and potential. Plus, Unfiltrd had just partnered with strip club chain Deja Vu, whose venues she had frequently appeared at during her feature dance tours.
Now, in this exclusive WIA Woman of the Month interview, Rossi opens up about her responsibilities, goals and game plan as Unfiltrd’s head of creators.
XBIZ: How did you get to know Unfiltrd founder Stephanie Matto?
ROSSI: Stephanie and I actually met online during the pandemic. I saw a post that she was looking for potential podcast guests and so I reached out to her with my background and story. I wasn’t sure if she was sex worker-friendly at the time, but I took my shot and slid into her DMs.
To my surprise, she was incredibly open and curious to know anything and everything there was to know about the adult industry. We would bounce business ideas off of one another and discuss what it takes to become a successful creator. Eventually we became really good friends.
What intrigues me most about Stephanie is how incredibly smart and business-savvy she is. The fact that she can turn anything into gold is a trait I think we all strive for, but many do not have the tenacity to succeed at. She is someone you want in your corner both personally and professionally. She’s definitely someone I look up to.
XBIZ: Discuss what led to your involvement with Unfiltrd, and what your responsibilities are as head of creators.
ROSSI: When Unfiltrd was first created, I joined as a creator. I had expressed that I wanted to be part of the team at Unfiltrd, but didn’t want the job handed to me, so I requested a real interview and put together a presentation for the team where I essentially audited the site and gave my professional advice as to what I could do to help Unfiltrd reach their goals. Stephanie and the team were so impressed with my presentation that I was offered an employment contract as head of creators a few weeks later after they signed a deal with Deja Vu.
As head of creators, it is my responsibility to not only recruit, but also to educate current and potential creators on how they can maximize their earnings on Unfiltrd. I am also in charge of coordinating events and appearances. Lastly, I use the resources that I have obtained from being in the adult industry for over a decade to help connect the Unfiltrd team with the people they need to further their brand exposure.
XBIZ: How do you balance your duties at Unfiltrd with still finding time for your other revenue streams?
ROSSI: On top of being head of creators for Unfiltrd, I also feature-dance, shoot content and go to business school full-time. It can be challenging juggling a full plate, but I feel time management is an essential part of being a successful entrepreneur. In a study I read, successful individuals identified starting your day early in the morning as the most important wealth-building habit. So I’ve always woken up at 5 a.m. to be sure I have enough time to get deadlines and assignments done. This helps reduce stress because it gives me more time to complete things at a leisurely pace versus a time crunch.
XBIZ: What kind of independent content do your fans most enjoy buying from you, and what makes Unfiltrd the best showcase for it?
ROSSI: The type of content I produce is very intimate and gives my fans the feeling of a “girlfriend experience.” I take the time to get to know my fans and I allow them to get to know aspects of me that I don’t share on my social media platforms. I focus on building loyalty within my fan base. Right now, a major area in content creation that creators are lacking in is getting to know their fan base. It also is not always about how much money you can generate short-term, but rather long-term. “How happy can I make my fans?” is always in the forefront of my mind.
Unfiltrd is great about promoting their creators and making their creators feel valued. We offer creators PR opportunities that can expand their brands beyond their current fan base and help them gain access to more exposure, which in turn helps them generate more revenue. I think other subscription sites lack this level of support for the creators on their platform, leaving the creators feeling unappreciated.
As for the fans, Unfiltrd gives those who are afraid of committing to a new fan subscription site the opportunity to purchase content a la carte, as well as ways to communicate with their favorite creator in a more intimate way, such as voice and video calls and live ticketed events. This showcases your content in a positive light because your fans don’t feel pressured, but rather they feel valued instead. I like that it leaves my fans wanting to feel more involved and emotionally invested because they have a more intimate way to get to know me versus other fan subscription sites.
XBIZ: Discuss your outreach to other talent and how you not only recruit, but retain new Unfiltrd creators.
ROSSI: The most important thing that I communicate to other talent when I reach out to them is reality; I don’t want to overpromise and underdeliver. I realize we are a newer platform and there are a dozen other platforms trying to solicit them on a daily basis, so I like to communicate to them that I am not trying to convince them to leave their bread and butter; rather I am trying to encourage them to open different avenues to increase their revenue. Think of it as adding a cherry on top of your ice cream sundae.
I find that my honesty when recruiting is what has enabled me to retain Unfiltrd creators. Not only that, but also the unique features Unfiltrd has to offer really make our creators feel at home. Lastly, I also think having a personal rapport with the creators is essential. The difference between Unfiltrd and other platforms is that we are here for the creators and we want the creators to feel valued because they are not just a number. We value our creators’ input and their expertise at creating content.
XBIZ: Talk about the recent partnership with Deja Vu and how the two companies will seek to empower talent.
ROSSI: Deja Vu is an industry giant and their name coupled with Unfiltrd’s amazing features is what I think will really make them stand out amongst all the competition. There are so many fan subscriptions to choose from, and so many are too similar or don’t bring anything new to the table for creators. Unfiltrd and Deja Vu are aiming to breathe life back into the industry while maintaining a safe and fair space for creators.
Working as both a feature dancer and creator on Unfiltrd, I feel that I have seen every angle of the industry. I have been able to analyze from the inside perspective what is lacking or what can be done better. Hopefully, with my experience I can help position Unfiltrd as the most empowering place for entertainers to make the most out of their time and content.
XBIZ: What new features are coming up for Unfiltrd that you’re most excited about?
ROSSI: Without giving away too much, we just recently tested out some revolutionary technology that involves different ways members will be able to interact with and see their favorite creators. This technology has never been used on a platform before and Unfiltrd will be on the front lines of what I truly believe will be the next generation of content creation.
XBIZ: Talk about your long-term goals, both for your own brand and for Unfiltrd, in the coming years.
ROSSI: I would like to see Unfiltrd become a completely different platform from anything else out there. I really think that Deja Vu and Unfiltrd are paving a new way and creating a new category of live digital entertainment. They’re not trying to become the next OnlyFans, but instead something completely unique. In the future, the long-term goals for Unfiltrd also involve potentially implementing AI features that blend real human intimacy with the newest innovations.
As for me, I am working to expand my brand beyond what I am known for, and I am continuing to gain more knowledge of what it takes to work on the corporate side of the industry. I want people to associate me with Unfiltrd, which I hope will help establish trust to join our platform. Lastly, I would like to continue working with Unfiltrd and Deja Vu to chase our company’s long-term goals together as a team.
