Sana Gaziani has always been industrious. She worked in retail for over 20 years, first as a teenager selling chocolates door-to-door and then in multiple part-time jobs at grocery stores. She worked at cosmetics company Lush to put herself through college, where she studied to become a law clerk.
After graduating, however, she accepted an offer to manage a shop specializing in loose-leaf tea, as she had developed a passion for customer service. Initially planning to try it out for just one year, she instead ended up staying with that company for nearly a decade, holding various positions from retail operations manager to director of supply chain.
I began as a support manager and focused on improving communications, response times and processes for site visitors and models.
She then switched briefly to high fashion — before spotting a discreet job post that mentioned free breakfast and flexible work hours, which excited her. She had always been fascinated by pornography, so when the recruiter mentioned that she would be working for brands like Pornhub and YouPorn, she was so thrilled that she stopped the interview and declared that she knew she was “the one” for the job and that this was where she needed to work.
Gaziani felt instinctively that this was her calling, and that the stars were aligned perfectly — literally, since as an astrology buff and a Leo, all the horoscopes she had ever read suggested that she work in the entertainment industry.
At Aylo, she now finds herself applying the many skills she gained in her previous roles, while learning new things daily. Thus far, she says, everyone she has met there and within the adult industry has been kind, friendly and welcoming. In this WIA Woman of the Month interview, she shares more about her goals and her work within the company.
XBIZ: How has your job role evolved at Aylo?
GAZIANI: I began as a support manager and focused on improving communications, response times and processes for site visitors and models. Over the years, I took on more responsibilities, like event marketing, model recruitment, social media and managing creator relationships. Today, I am the director of content and community, overseeing our paid programs on Pornhub and working closely with models and studios to help increase their exposure and revenue streams on and off our platform.
XBIZ: Discuss your approach to fostering mutual success with talent and the content teams.
GAZIANI: I’m very lucky to be in a position that is entirely focused on creator success. For me, having an open dialogue, being authentic and inclusive, understanding creator needs and developing an action plan are key. We have an amazing team of model coordinators and account representatives who genuinely care about their business partners and are excited to perform account reviews, share tips and make suggestions to optimize site performance for creators.
I believe in community over competition and get inspired whenever I chat with Ricky Johnson. He says, “Give people ladders and help them climb,” and I couldn’t agree more. I see Pornhub as an important ladder within the adult ecosystem. We want our diverse creators to upload content, earn ad share and get discovered by fans who might become paid subscribers on other platforms. When we get more content to satisfy our viewers and those viewers also end up paying for a subscription or membership on other sites, that’s a win-win for everyone.
XBIZ: What’s a recent Pornhub venture you undertook that was a great success?
GAZIANI: Last April, we held the fifth annual Pornhub Awards and returned to an in-person celebration. It was the first time we attempted a hybrid event that announced the winners online in the morning followed by a glamorous party in Hollywood at night. I worked on that project for months and it was amazing to see so much world-class talent come together and celebrate industry achievements.
Everyone looked so beautiful and there were no crazy lines for the bathroom. The amount of social media coverage leading up to the awards, and even now, has been positively overwhelming. It brings me and my team so much joy to see creators engage with our brand and share their stories.
XBIZ: How do you interface with other members of the company to execute broad goals?
GAZIANI: Building relationships is key and my boss says that I’m good at “people-ing” so I lean into my soft skills to execute company objectives. Sometimes, going out for a casual lunch with colleagues in a relaxed environment can foster a solid working relationship that yields better and more positive results. I am awkwardly charming and inject my personality to create a comfortable workspace!
I also try my best to listen and provide meaningful input in cross-functional meetings so that we can make thoughtful and mutually beneficial decisions for all stakeholders. I’m not shy or afraid of asking questions to get things done. I use my voice confidently and respectfully. I make sure people know I’m sitting at the table.
This year, I’ve been working closely with my colleagues at Brazzers because we go to the same shows and work with the same talent. It makes so much sense to combine efforts and share our strengths and resources to execute similar objectives. We both care so much about putting talent first, as Lea Lexis noted in her recent Woman of the Month spotlight.
XBIZ: What is a “typical” workday like for you? How do you stay on top of your many responsibilities?
GAZIANI: I keep a to-do list and add “events” to my calendar when I need to block off time to focus on a task or a project. I also schedule an hour break for lunch every day to stay fueled.
My day starts by checking all my DMs and messages. I identify what’s urgent and important and tackle those first. I do some firefighting if an unknown issue arises, then try to get back on track with my other responsibilities.
Every day is exciting! The best days are when I hop on calls with creators to see if they want to work on a marketing campaign together or provide us with feedback about an upcoming feature. Their feedback is so important to me and our company.
XBIZ: What do you do for leisure to wind down after a long week?
GAZIANI: I love the simple things in life, like cooking, hanging out with my two cats and having solo dance parties in my kitchen. I also love going out to grab a meal with friends. I practice hot yoga and when the sun is shining, I get outside for a bike ride. I love traveling and try to collect a few stamps in my passport throughout the year.
XBIZ: Any unique talents or fun facts about you folks may not know?
GAZIANI: I am a human jukebox for a variety of musical genres, particularly ’90s grunge, alternative, Eurodance, hip hop and R&B. I love karaoke even though I cannot sing! I perform unapologetically on stage in true Leo form. I also spent one year living in Ireland and can do a decent Dublin accent.
XBIZ: What are your primary career goals for the coming year?
GAZIANI: I’ve got a few: restrategize our brand presence and voice on social media, participate in more workshops and panels to highlight our trust and safety protocols, and connect with more creators and execs at industry events. I am also looking forward to collaborating with organizations like The Cupcake Girls, Pineapple Support and the FSC to expand on the resources and tools available to performers. Also, looking for new value propositions to help both studios and models bring traffic to their own sites and increase revenue streams. Lastly, we plan to add more brand ambassadors to the Pornhub family. Stay tuned for more on that!
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.
