profile

WIA Profile: Shay Martin

What is your role and responsibility at Vibratex?

I am a co-owner and vice president of Vibratex. Since we're such a small company I've worn many hats. Anything from filing orders, unloading cargo containers, driving forklifts, marketing, tradeshows, bossing my husband around … the list goes on. Nowadays I tend to focus more on product development and working with my manufacturers in Japan on improving the quality of our products.

Self-confidence tends to subdue any potential harassment and negativity.

Describe a typical Monday at your desk.

Since I have such a fantastic staff, things tend to be lined up for me when I get in. I'm not the most organized person so they keep me in line and let me know what projects need immediate attention. Usually the priority is keeping check on shipments coming in for the week, developing more in depth relationships with my customers and finding out what they are looking for in products and improving their sales, walking the dog and working on product development.

What is the biggest challenge of being a woman in the adult industry?

Since I've been around this business all my life (my father owned retail adult stores), I've never really encountered any difficulties as a woman. Self-confidence tends to subdue any potential harassment and negativity. Business in the U.S. has been pretty smooth, but I remember the days when I was trying to work with the manufacturers in Japan and they had a difficult time having a business relationship with a woman. Now we all go out for sushi and sake and have a great time. The industry has changed over the past 15 years or so and I feel it has become a large family. Everyone tends to help each other out and support one another no matter what your gender is.

What is the most rewarding aspect of your job?

Getting calls or cards from women, men and couples telling me how our products have helped their intimacy and sex lives. Sexuality is an integral part of being human, but it's sometimes shuffled behind an invisible curtain in our society. Being able to expand someone's world and introduce them to pleasure has got to be the most rewarding thing I can do. A friend of mine once said he wished he could satisfy as many women as I have. I'll take that as a compliment!

How do you maintain balance in your life?

My husband Dan and I spend a lot of time outdoors and pursuing other sports activities. Anyone attending any of the tradeshows has probably seen me in slings, braces and whatnot from playing beach volleyball — my other passion. Even though we work together, we like to go on adventures outside. We try not to bring work home, but when you're doing business with a country on the other side of the world, it's hard not to work during dinner.

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 © 2024 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

How to Advise Beginners on Shopping 'Animal Play' Toys

An important aspect of sex that doesn’t get talked about enough is exercising our imaginations. Letting our minds run wild gives us the chance to try new positions, play with new parts of the body, add toys and accessories, or even create a completely made-up fantasy world where we can pretend to be an entirely different species.

Rebecca Weinberg ·
opinion

Strategies for Navigating Content Restrictions on Social Media

Welcome to the “seggsual” wellness industry, also known as the “s//xual wellness industry” or “s-eggs-ual” wellness industry. Why so many aliases? Because mentioning what we actually do can torpedo our marketing efforts on social media platforms.

Scarlett Ward ·
trends

A Look at the Global Trends Shaping the Pleasure Products Industry

Multiple factors are shaping the pleasure landscape, including technological advancements, innovations in product design and sustainability, the impact of digital marketing and ecommerce, and the varying degrees of openness toward sexual wellness the industry encounters across different territories.

profile

WIA Profile: Kate McGregor

Ask Kate McGregor’s colleagues and co-workers, and they will likely tell you that she was always destined to do great things, wherever she landed — but that they are glad McGregor’s path led her to the colorful world of vibrators and butt plugs.

Women In Adult ·
profile

Electric Novelties Execs Reflect on Company Origins, Mission

When Zach Goode first crossed paths with Electric Novelties over 20 years ago, both he and the company were deeply entrenched in the apparel world. Goode was handling sales for a friend’s novelty T-shirt company, Sik World, while Electric specialized in sexy lingerie and clubwear.

Ariana Rodriguez ·
profile

Sensual Distributors Ltd. Blends Real-Life Love Story, Passion for Pleasure Biz

This local brick-and-mortar is a “mom and mom” operation led by co-owners Alana Thompson and Angini Singh, a lesbian couple who overcame their country’s strict, religious culture to create a sexual wellness boutique that serves their unique community.

Colleen Godin ·
opinion

How History Drives Marketing Strategies Today

Thanks to the efforts of activists, sex educators and members of marginalized communities, products like sex toys, lubricants and adult films have become much less stigmatized, and much more visible and accepted in the public sphere today.

Hail Groo ·
opinion

BAFTA Nominations Highlights Importance of Gender-Neutrality

While the Brit Awards have paved the way for gender inclusivity by introducing gender-neutral award categories, it has recently been confirmed that the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) awards will not follow suit.

Scarlett Ward ·
opinion

How to Explain Wax Play to Shoppers

When it comes to candles in the bedroom, most folks think of them as a great way to create a sexy ambiance. For folks who enjoy wax play, however, candles are also a kinky way to heat things up. While it may sound daunting to the uninitiated — because, you know, fire and hot dripping wax — wax play can be a fun and accessible sensation-play option, as well as an excellent intro to BDSM.

Rebecca Weinberg ·
trends

An Inside Look at the Decision-Making Process of Expert Merchandisers

Buyers in the sexual wellness industry bear a weighty responsibility. They must strike the perfect balance between meeting customers’ demonstrated needs with tried-and-true products, and staying on top of the latest trends — and that is only scratching the surface.

Show More