How did you get into the business?
I got into this industry by chance I would say. Ten years ago, Gamma Entertainment was much smaller, and I applied to be a sales rep for a mainstream project they had going on.
I think there is no easy trick to all the challenges that we face; we have to keep informed of what’s going on, keep a good pulse on the trends, diversify your assets when possible and … work hard!
I got the job, became the 21st employee and worked in that department for about one full year.
In my second year, there were talks about creating a whole new affiliate program that would be home to some of the biggest names in the industry. This new project really sounded exciting, so I immediately applied to handle what would eventually become FameDollars.com. I still remember creating everything from scratch with one of the owners.
To this day, I still kept drawings of our first site templates! It really all kicked in at my first adult show — The Phoenix Forum in 2005, where we officially launched the program. I was lucky enough to meet some really great people from the start, who helped me make my own way around this crazy industry! I truly enjoyed it from the beginning. Coming from a pretty artistic background, it was a pleasure to see this side of the entertainment business. To this day, reflecting back on the last 10 years, I can safely say that I made the right decision and I am still extremely passionate about the company, my team and my career.
What in your background prepared you for what you are doing now?
Does anything prepare you for a life behind the (porn) scenes ? Ha ha, I could say that coming from a very open-minded family, who never judged, was always very understanding and encouraged the choices I made, helped tremendously. I was supported by friends and family from the very moment I started in this business. Gamma Entertainment is also a tightly knit clan that supports personal development just as much as professional; from internal trainings to continued education we truly believe that the success of our company relies on the growth of our employees. Working with Gamma over the past 10 years has not only helped me become who I am today but has prepared me to face any challenge that comes my way.
What do you see as the challenges of working in the adult online business? How do you overcome them?
Online adult is a fascinating world indeed, but it moves lighting fast! The most imminent challenge is to always innovate or adapt to the fast-growing (and fast changing) new ways of online distribution, like social networks. Keeping on top of new trends and technologies and constantly adapting is what you have to do. Another challenge I see is the different hybrid business models that are coming out. Some go, some stay and it can become quite difficult to define them, even more in the legal sphere. Everchanging laws are also a threat to our ways of conducting business worldwide and the ones who cannot adapt quickly enough can really suffer from it.
I think there is no easy trick to all the challenges that we face; we have to keep informed of what’s going on, keep a good pulse on the trends, diversify your assets when possible and … work hard! At Gamma, I am fortunate to have amazing people around me, to be able to share our knowledge and support each other to make the best decisions possible.
Does your work life affect your personal life?
Apart from working all the time? I think my work only brought an even more positive spin on my life. I get to travel and see the world, learn something new every day, meet really interesting people and see exceptional things. Those are experiences that can only better your personal life. Socially, my job is definitely a conversation starter! Friends will always talk about my job before I can introduce myself and they still fantasize that Pornstars are roaming around the office … but it’s all in good fun, and I play along every time!
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. Women like Magalie Rheault of FameDollars.