 |
 |
|
Interview (view all)J$TYLE$ :: Interviewed: May 15, 2008
What did you do before you got into adult?
Just prior to getting into adult I used to work for a carpet company. I found a service that provided a book of leads from permits issued and listed at the County Clerk office on a monthly basis. I convinced the owner of the carpet company to let me buy the book every month and cold called everyone ... homeowners, contractors, etc - and pitched them on flooring. I had some great accounts. Also, at the same time, I handled sales for another company called Christopher's Interior Care Service. We provided "Fabric Protection" and carpet cleaning for all the BIG Interior Designer's and their clients in Beverly Hills, Bell Air, Brentwood etc. Both companies worked hand in hand so there were a number of accounts that I would sell flooring to - and then upsell them fabric protection and regular maintenance too. Nice way to bang out double commissions and create long-term clients.
How did you get into adult?
My first foray into adult before the Internet was in 1995/1996 working for a company called Bureau One. The phone sex business looked like a big money maker in the 90's so I did some research and ended up with a job selling phone sex numbers as a business opportunity to interested "investors".
The phone sex business was really the catalyst for me to start my first adult company. While working at Bureau One, we were required to send all of our clients to this one advertising agency for print and TV placement. It was a great set up for both companies. We had 40 guys pounding away taking inbound calls and they had 7 smokin' HOT account reps canoodling with the guys for their advertising business. One day, there was a meeting and we were all told that from that point forward we were to pitch our clients on the advantages of advertising their phone sex businesses on this new thing called ... THE INTERNET! Just about every day, you would hear about the net on the news. At the time, there were reportedly only 20 -30 million people online worldwide - and it was the ground floor! The ad agency told us that 1/8 of a page ads were available for $750 per month and my jaw dropped. All the guys were excited that they could sell this product and make another measly 5% commission. I, on the other hand, started calculating the cost of a full page at $6000. I figured that it had to be all profit! I called my cousin who was in the adult video business in NY and asked him where I could find any adult websites? He said to go get AVN magazine. Lo and behold, I found an ad in the back of the mag for a site called Adult.com. I called the number and it was a guy by the name of Stan. (He was the previous owner before Lensman/Playboy) The conversation went a little like this: Me: Hi! I saw your ad in AVN and was interested in buying some full page ads on your website. Stan: Sure, man - I'll sell you whatever you want! Me: GREAT! I have a number of clients that own phone sex numbers. I can provide the 900# and the ad copy but I need for YOU to provide the pictures too. Can you do that? Stan: Yeah, man - no problem! There are TONS of pics in the newsgroups to choose from! Me: Ok, cool - how much are you charging per page? Stan: How'bout $100? Me: (not being able to contain myself!) Perfect! I'll call you back in a little while and set up a time to meet! Stan: Ok. Talk soon! After hanging up from that call I was nearly busting at the seams. I couldn't stop smiling and laughing. The other sales guy sitting across from me was just staring at me like I was nuts! On the fly, I told him - no more referring your clients to that advertising agency for the web. I've got something that will blow it away! Instead of an 1/8 page ad for $750, I'll give them a full page ad for $1000! Instead of 5% commission, I'll give you 20%! I had $700 profit on each sale without having to do a thing! Two weeks later I get called into my managers office. He told me to stop selling Internet advertising unless it was to that other agency or he would have to fire me. I told him to fuck off and quit! In those two weeks I made 15K+ - so, I rented an office and went to all the phone sex companies I could find and pitched them on my idea selling ads on the Net to their phone sex clients. I didn't even have a computer when I started. After 3 months and 6 healthy figures later I purchased a state of the art 100mhz computer with 16 megs of smokin' RAM from Best Buy with a blazing fast 14.4 modem. I was living LARGE! When did you start in the adult industry?
1995/1996
What makes you stay in adult?
Two things keep me in adult, specifically on the Internet. The freedom and the money. I've ventured into some mainstream projects and didn't see the success I've seen in adult. That doesn't mean I wouldn't venture back if the right opportunity made itself apparent. I'm always open to new ideas and interested in exploring new ways to generate money.
Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
Semi-retired. I don't think I'll ever be able to quit working altogether but I enjoy the time I get to spend with my family and would like to cut my hours down considerably in the next 10 years and travel more.
What is your work history in adult?
Bureau One (Sales Rep) 1996
Internet Unlimited (Owner) 1996/1997 Internet Entertainment Group [ieg] (Director of Sales and marketing) 1997/1998 Cybererotica (President) 1998-2000 JTS Enterprises, LLC (Owner) 2000-2003 Virtual iNet Promotions, Inc (Owner) 2003 - Present/Future P&T Internet, Inc (Owner) 2004 - Present/Future MaxCash (VP) Present-Future Do you work from home or do you work at an office?
I've worked in offices for many years and after leaving CE in 2000 I had my own office until 2003. I decided to give it up because I found myself only coming in to get the mail and for a few meetings per month. I've been working from my home offices for the better part of the last 8 years and love it. If I have to meet with anyone I can visit his or her offices or meet at a restaurant. It's worked out great. I have a beautiful house with a private office. I can make calls from the pool if I feel like it, and I'm here most days when my kids get home from school. I can work anywhere in the world as long as I have an Internet connection and a cell phone. The guys that handle my content delivery and the upkeep and maintenance of TheContentStore.com are sub-contracted. There's no need for the overhead of an office for what I do.
What are your skills?
I'm a people person and excel at marketing and promotions. My greatest skill is managing relationships and creating deals where there were none previously.
What is your biggest accomplishment so far in this industry?
I think my biggest accomplishment is longevity. After nearly 12+ years I've ridden many of the biggest waves in this industry. There is an ebb and flow in business and life. Some people call them peaks and valleys or ups and downs. I've had them like everyone else. However, the one consistent thing in my life has been that my ups generally go higher each time and my downs not quite as low. Whether by luck, skill or hard work I've always ended up on top.
Did you or do you have a mentor? Someone that started you out in the industry or has helped you along your way? Tell us about it.
I had two in the early days. Seth Warshavsky from IEG and Ron Levi from Cybererotica. Working with these guys helped shape how I handle myself when relating to others in business and negotiating deals. I learned from Seth the same thing my father and Tony Montana instilled in me over the years. The only thing I have in this world is my word and my balls. I don't break either for no one! He did, often. I learned a number of things from Ron, but most importantly, I learned how to leverage deals and relationships in my favor. Ron was one of the greatest dealmakers and most incredible negotiators I've ever seen. Working for both of these guys were two amazing and life altering experiences. Through the good and the bad, I owe them a debt of gratitude!
What sites do you visit on a daily basis?
On the adult side, I visit GFY.com, JustBlowMe.com, XBiz.com and AVNonline.com to see what's going on every day. On the mainstream side, I have my Google home page set to show me the latest from Slashdot, News.com, CNN.com, Techdirt.com, Wired.com, Forbes.com and a few others.
How many people do you have on your ICQ list?
Literally hundreds.
Are you a workaholic?
Ummmm ...... YEAH!
Do you feel that the long hours you put in affects your personal life? Or have your work life and personal life become so intertwined that they are one and the same?
In the early days, my life revolved around the business more on a social level and I enjoyed it thoroughly. I definitely partied like a rock star for a number of years and I don't regret it for one minute. The clubs, the parties, the limos, the late nights and early mornings ... I had a blast. Now, I have a core group of people from the business I talk to frequently on a social level but my family has become my priority over the past 5 years. I've realized that "as you get older the 'circle' gets tighter" and I prefer it that way.
Name the 5 most important things in your life (work or personal), and why?
Family, friends, health and happiness. Can't think of a 5th except maybe money but the other 4 have become way more important. The life I have now with my wife and 2 children is something I never aspired to. It just happened naturally. Now, I could not imagine it any other way. Friends have always been an integral part of my life. I've always been a highly social person and genuinely enjoy hanging out with my friends whenever I can. Health is something I value more today more than any other time in my life. I want to grow old with my wife and see my kids experience life in a way I didn't have the chance to. Happiness - it's all I want for those I care about and if I can take part in facilitating it for them in any way then I've done a good thing and it feels good!
Do you feel there is still room for new people in this industry to make a decent living?
Absolutely. Although the market is somewhat saturated, there's always an opportunity for someone smart or creative to come in and make money. Find a niche or area you like. Research and learn. Focus. Show determination and work smart. You can still find your way to lots of fat cash!
What motivates you to succeed?
My family and my pride.
SPAM!
MaxCash.com is on the rise again! Don't call it a comeback; we've been here for years - as the saying goes! I was itching to go back to my roots in the paysite/affiliate game and RB and Bob made me an offer I could not refuse. The beauty of the deal is that I walked in to a situation with an experienced team of individuals that understands the business and has a history for making a lot of money for a lot of people. Literally hundreds of millions! Couple that with nearly 13 years of contacts and my own experience and it's a no lose proposition no matter what the landscape in the marketplace is. We all know how to make this work, and over the next year I see big things happening for MaxCash.com and all of our affiliates. Look out for new sites, great marketing tools and huge incentives for webmasters to continue to do business and trust their traffic with MaxCash.com. I think some people are going to be surprised with some of the things we'll be releasing in the not too distant future - but for those that know us there should be NO surprise at all!
On the other side, TheContentStore.com has grown tremendously since I launched 4 years ago. The past 6 months have been more phenomenal than I could have imagined. If you listen to people complain about the declining market, you'd think nobody was buying content. In fact, the opposite is true. I've had bigger sales volume from December 07 through today than any 6 month period since I opened the doors in 2004. Companies that need quality studio produced DVD content are buying more than ever to compete in the marketplace and retain members. Fortunately, I've been able to maintain great relationships at the top of the paysite business food chain and I don't see my content business going anywhere but up for a long time to come! |
