opinion

The Will to Succeed

At the time of this writing, I am sitting in a hotel room down in the city, awaiting the return of an old pal that has been away for a few years now. In a short couple of hours, his long mission will be over, and his friends and family will meet him at the airport to welcome him home.

He had taken on a task that took him far from loved ones and thrust him into unfamiliar territory, surrounded by strangers and separated by barriers of culture, language, religion and more. Despite this, however, he persevered — overcoming these obstacles and successfully accomplishing his goals through commitment, dedication and the overriding will to succeed.

By all reports, it was a job well done and reflected a work ethic that leads to prosperity in any field.

On the adult entertainment front, experienced, successful operators will know all too well this cost of commitment and the necessity to push forward when it seems that everything is crashing around you. This includes the physical and mental exhaustion that saps creativity and the emotional isolation caused by endless hours spent on the job, in front of the computer, rather than living a healthier lifestyle.

The payoff can be substantial, however — with freedom, fun and financial rewards to those who can remain hungry and continue to focus on building erotic empires in the process.

Building vast empires is not for everyone, however.

While some folks thrive on being king, others are content to be rich, and may decide that it is time to scale back their personal involvement in their company’s day-to-day operations; preferring to cash out rather than to carry on. There is also no shortage of other players wanting to be involved or to get bigger than they already are by gulping down the competition, providing the cash for your retirement.

Whether it is a management metamorphosis or a round of mergers and acquisitions, companies within the adult space are striving to secure their future — and in some cases, making moves intended to obfuscate the company’s true ownership or country of origin. This last measure is an attempt to protect their assets on a legally challenging playing field, while fueling the next stages of their growth.

Growth, or the positive expansion of profits, can take many forms, however.

Some companies are streamlining their operations rather than expanding them; running a tighter, more nimble ship, as opposed to a larger, slower vessel. This trend is in evidence in website closures and subsequent re-launches; combo and discounted membership offers; and domain name portfolio sell-offs by even the largest of companies — along with a wave of new and innovative products and services that are designed to take advantage of today’s changing marketplace realities and generously funded by the realignments of outdated business units.

For these perceptive operators, going sideways may be the best way to move forward. All it takes is a clear understanding of the diverse needs of your company, in context of its fast-changing operations, and prevailing market factors  — and the will to succeed at all costs.

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