From psychology to journalism to adult retail copywriting and product sales, Vanessa Rose’s career path has continually broadened her horizons while leading her far and wide across Australia.
Rose is Svakom’s sexual wellness educator, a role she accepted just a few months ago after working as the company’s account manager for Australia and New Zealand over the past year. Rose began acquiring expertise in the sexual health space in college, as a psychology major with a minor in gender studies. She took a keen interest in gender identity, and after sharpening her wordsmithing skills as a journalist and newspaper editor, wound up working as a copywriter for an adult retailer.
Knowing that I can make a positive and meaningful difference in people’s lives keeps me feeling proud to be in our industry.
Penning content for the pleasure space solidified Rose’s passion for intimate wellness, leading to her most recent accomplishment: becoming an accredited clinical sexuality coach.
Since stepping into her new role with Svakom, Rose’s duties now span global social media content and management, education and training, and branding. She says the role switch-up happened very quickly, and delightedly reports that her new position’s relevancy extends well beyond the Australian market.
In this month’s edition of Women in Adult, we highlight Vanessa Rose as a creative, driving force and positive influence within the Svakom team and the greater sexual wellness world.
XBIZ: What first attracted you about working with Svakom? Was this your first job in the pleasure industry?
Vanessa Rose: Their commitment to inclusivity was a key factor. Svakom believes that sexual wellness is a necessity and aims to ensure a future where everyone’s needs are met. This resonates with me so I welcomed the opportunity to become account manager for Australia and New Zealand. After one year, I was promoted to sexual wellness educator, a role that covers not only education and training but also content management, creation and marketing.
Working with Svakom isn’t my first job in the pleasure industry. My journey started when I moved to Melbourne for an honors degree in psychology, focusing on anthropology and gender studies. Discovering the work of American philosopher and gender theorist Judith Butler was a game changer. It opened me to the possibility that gender is not “natural,” but rather an identity we bring into being through repeated performance.
I pursued my interest in people and their stories through a postgraduate diploma in journalism and ultimately my role as a newspaper editor. In fact, journalism and editing are what led me to apply for a content editor job with a major online retailer. The fact that it was an adult retailer came as quite a surprise! I loved it from day one and formalized my on-the-job education by becoming a clinical sexuality coach certified by the American Board of Sexology.
Many years and hundreds of kilometers later, I returned to my hometown of Adelaide, South Australia, and took the job with Svakom.
XBIZ: When you initially joined this industry, what stood out to you most? What aspects of the pleasure space caught your attention or came as a surprise?
Rose: What stood out to me the most was that the pleasure industry has no place for judgment. Browsing bondage gear at a trade show, I heard the expression, “Don’t yuck someone’s yum” and it has remained with me. Our role — whether it be as a manufacturer, supplier, retailer, educator or therapist — is to support adults in pursuing sexual pleasure and wellness on their own terms, always with freedom, safety and consent.
I was also pleasantly surprised to learn that the industry caters to so many bodies, needs, desires and experience levels. The diverse range of products and the level of innovation out there really caught my attention. It’s exciting to be involved in the development process and follow it up by making the products accessible to as many adults as possible.
XBIZ: In a nutshell, what is Svakom’s main focus for this year?
Rose: Svakom's slogan is “Explore Your Limits,” and our main focus for this year is to do that with our own product development. Svakom has always emphasized innovative technology, from our earliest toy, Siime Eye — the world’s first vibrator with an internal camera — to our Connexion series, which lets users interact with partners, adult video and webcam viewers. Now we’re aiming to make more of our products app-compatible, customizable and interactive. This applies to new releases as well as upgrades of selected bestsellers.
XBIZ: What have been your most satisfying or memorable experiences so far, working at Svakom?
Rose: My career with Svakom has taken me to some unexpected yet very rewarding places, in both the physical and digital worlds. I’ve played an important role in updating our Svakom App, simplifying the user experience without compromising functionality. After years of working in print media, I never expected to use my copywriting skills in app development, but it’s been invaluable.
As the only Svakom team member in Australia, I work online from home — with my poodle, Scarlett Rose. I’ve had the privilege of traveling to familiar places and exploring new ones so that I can engage with our supporters in person and provide education, training and merchandising support as well as gain market insights. This, combined with product development and content management, allows for a satisfying blend of analysis, creativity, independence and teamwork.
XBIZ: What are some of your personal goals for this year?
Rose: One of my main personal goals right now overlaps my career and personal life. I’ve been writing a book using my qualifications and experience as a clinical sexuality coach, media professional and member of the pleasure industry, but it keeps getting pushed down my to-do list. So this year, my goal is to bring it closer to completion. Without giving too much away, it will offer practical advice on how to use your mind to experience more sexual pleasure and wellness.
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.
