profile

WIA Profile: Danielle Waid

What's the inspiration/source of the nickname Twinkley?

Everyone wants to know about the weirdo nickname it seems! Well, when I got into the industry forever ago (eight years) everyone had a nickname; it was absolutely unheard of to use your real name for doing biz in the industry. So I decided to go with a nickname some friends had given me while we were out clubbing one night — Twinkley. I am a happy ball of gigglyness when I'm intoxicated, and a friend busted out with "You twinkle [when] you're drunk" — and hence Twinkley was born. It fits my personality, drunk or not.

I am still pursuing my broadcasting degree in hopes of starting my own network someday.

What's the most important thing for people keep in mind when purchasing traffic?

It's all about the math. No matter what you are looking to have the traffic do for you, it all comes down to how much you spend and what kind of return you get. The pricing model on traffic doesn't really matter in the end (flat rate, CPC, CPA, etc.), as long as you are seeing the ROI you are looking for. In the end, as long as the numbers add up for you, that's all that really matters.

Prior to working in the adult industry, what did you do for a living?

Oh goodness, this isn't very inspiring I suppose. I was a waitress, bartender and glorified secretary. I entered the industry five days before my 21st birthday, so I hadn't had much of a chance to spread my wings in the "real world." I consider it a good thing, as the real world has so many biases, closed minds and restrictions, I don't think I would have made it in a typical career for very long anyway — I was born to be in the biz.

If you could snap your fingers and change one thing about the industry, what would it be?

The missing aspects of professionalism. While I have always loved and appreciated the openness of this industry, there are many aspects of "real" business that would be helpful to the people working in the biz. There are too many scam artists and cheats out there even today, and some simple things such as binding contracts on agreements, would go a long way toward making sure that people aren't getting taken in. There is nothing wrong with the handshake deal, but I have seen a lot of people get burned in such deals, and waste a lot of time chasing deals down and trying to get them completed, as there was nothing in writing solidifying the details.

If you weren't in the adult industry, what field would you be working in?

Broadcasting, without a doubt. Ever since Dokk introduced me to Internet radio, and I started the "Pillow Talk" show years ago, I have been in love with the radio. I think the media has great power to influence people, and I love being the voice behind the mic. I am still pursuing my broadcasting degree in hopes of starting my own network someday.

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.

Related:  

Copyright © 2026 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More Articles

opinion

Pornnhub's Jade Talks Trust and Community

If you’ve ever interacted with Jade at Pornhub, you already know one thing to be true: Whether you’re coordinating an event, confirming deliverables or simply trying to get an answer quickly, things move more smoothly when she’s involved. Emails get answered. Details are confirmed. Deadlines don’t drift. And through it all, her tone remains warm, friendly and grounded.

Women In Adult ·
opinion

Outlook 2026: Industry Execs Weigh In on Strategy, Monetization and Risk

The adult industry enters 2026 at a moment of concentrated change. Over the past year, the sector’s evolution has accelerated. Creators have become full-scale businesses, managing branding, compliance, distribution and community under intensifying competition. Studios and platforms are refining production and business models in response to pressures ranging from regulatory mandates to shifting consumer preferences.

Jackie Backman ·
opinion

How Platforms Can Tap AI to Moderate Content at Scale

Every day, billions of posts, images and videos are uploaded to platforms like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and X. As social media has grown, so has the amount of content that must be reviewed — including hate speech, misinformation, deepfakes, violent material and coordinated manipulation campaigns.

Christoph Hermes ·
opinion

What DSA and GDPR Enforcement Means for Adult Platforms

Adult platforms have never been more visible to regulators than they are right now. For years, the industry operated in a gray zone: enormous traffic, massive data volume and minimal oversight. Those days are over.

Corey D. Silverstein ·
opinion

Making the Case for Network Tokens in Recurring Billing

A declined transaction isn’t just a technical error; it’s lost revenue you fought hard to earn. But here’s some good news for adult merchants: The same technology that helps the world’s largest subscription services smoothly process millions of monthly subscriptions is now available to you as well.

Jonathan Corona ·
opinion

Navigating Age Verification Laws Without Disrupting Revenue

With age verification laws now firmly in place across multiple markets, merchants are asking practical questions: How is this affecting traffic? What happens during onboarding? Which approaches are proving workable in real payment flows?

Cathy Beardsley ·
opinion

How Adult Businesses Can Navigate Global Compliance Demands

The internet has made the world feel small. Case in point: Adult websites based in the U.S. are now getting letters from regulators demanding compliance with foreign laws, even if they don’t operate in those countries. Meanwhile, some U.S. website operators dealing with the patchwork of state-level age verification laws have considered incorporating offshore in the hopes of avoiding these new obligations — but even operators with no physical presence in the U.S. have been sued or threatened with claims for not following state AV laws.

Larry Walters ·
opinion

Top Tips for Bulletproof Creator Management Contracts

The creator management business is booming. Every week, it seems, a new agency emerges, promising to turn creators into stars, automate their fan interactions or triple their revenue through “secret” social strategies. The reality? Many of these agencies are operating with contracts that wouldn’t survive a single serious dispute — if they even have contracts at all.

Corey D. Silverstein ·
opinion

Building Sustainable Revenue Without Opt-Out Cross-Sales

Over the past year, we’ve seen growing pushback from acquirers on merchants using opt-out cross-sales — also known as negative option offers. This has been especially noticeable in the U.S. In fact, one of our acquirers now declines new merchants during onboarding if an opt-out flow is detected. Existing merchants submitting new URLs with opt-out cross-sales are being asked to remove them.

Cathy Beardsley ·
opinion

How to Handle Payment Disputes Without Sacrificing Trust

You can run the best-managed and most compliant website out there, but that still doesn’t completely shield you from the risks tied to payment disputes. Buyer’s remorse, an unclear billing description or even a simple misunderstanding can lead a customer to dispute a transaction. Accumulate enough disputes, and both your reputation and revenue could be at risk.

Jonathan Corona ·
Show More