profile

WIA Profile: Kathi Stout

How did you get into the business?

In 1997 I moved from Mississippi to Seattle. My first job there was with the ISP that hosted Flying Crocodile (SexTracker). The ISP was sold and several members of the accounting department moved over to Flying Crocodile. I was with Flying Crocodile’s hosting department for five years. I moved to Atlanta in 2004 to work for Tony Morgan and NationalNet, staying with my hosting roots. I moved to Phoenix in 2011 to be closer to my family and to work for Ron Cadwell and CCBill. I have to say, I have enjoyed and learned from each of my opportunities.

Be the change you want to see in the world. How can we expect change if we aren’t willing to change first?

Was there a person in your career who really made a difference?

I had a college professor that taught me to finish what you start and not be afraid to say “no.”

What do you do in your spare time?

I love to cook, entertain and travel. From each trip I learn something new to cook for my friends and family. This way, they can experience the same things I have without leaving home.

What is your personal mission statement?

Be the change you want to see in the world. How can we expect change if we aren’t willing to change first?

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 Kathi Stout, event director of The Phoenix Forum.

Related:  

Copyright © 2025 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

Understanding the FTC's New 'Click to Cancel' Rule

The Federal Trade Commission’s new “Click to Cancel” rule has been a hot topic in consumer protection and business regulation. Part of a broader effort to streamline cancellation processes for subscription services, the rule has sparked significant debate and legal challenges.

Corey D. Silverstein ·
opinion

Key Factors for Choosing a Merchant Services Partner

Running a successful adult business requires more than just delivering alluring and cutting-edge products and services. Securing the right payment processing partner is essential to maintaining a steady revenue stream.

Jonathan Corona ·
opinion

Identifying and Preventing Transaction Laundering

Recently, a few merchants approached me after receiving compliance notifications from their acquirer about transaction laundering. They were unsure what it meant, and unsure how to identify and fix the problem.

Cathy Beardsley ·
profile

WIA: Alexis Fawx Levels Up as Multifaceted Entrepreneur

As more performers look to diversify, expanding their range of revenue streams and promotional vehicles, some are spreading their entrepreneurial wings to create new businesses — including Alexis Fawx.

Women In Adult ·
opinion

Navigating Age-Related Regulations in Europe

Age verification measures are rapidly gaining momentum across Europe, with regulators stepping up efforts to protect children online. Recently, the U.K.’s communications regulator, Ofcom, updated its timeline for implementing the Online Safety Act, while France’s ARCOM has released technical guidance detailing age verification standards.

Gavin Worrall ·
opinion

Why Cyber Insurance Is Crucial for Adult Businesses

From streaming services and interactive platforms to ecommerce and virtual reality experiences, the adult industry has long stood at the forefront of online innovation. However, the same technology-forward approach that has enabled adult businesses to deliver unique and personalized content to consumers worldwide also exposes them to myriad risks.

Corey D. Silverstein ·
opinion

Best Practices for Payment Gateway Security

Securing digital payment transactions is critical for all businesses, but especially those in high-risk industries. Payment gateways are a core component of the digital payment ecosystem, and therefore must follow best practices to keep customer data safe.

Jonathan Corona ·
opinion

Ready for New Visa Acquirer Changes?

Next spring, Visa will roll out the U.S. version of its new Visa Acquirer Monitoring Program (VAMP), which goes into effect April 1, 2025. This follows Visa Europe, which rolled out VAMP back in June. VAMP charts a new path for acquirers to manage fraud and chargeback ratios.

Cathy Beardsley ·
opinion

How to Halt Hackers as Fraud Attacks Rise

For hackers, it’s often a game of trial and error. Bad actors will perform enumeration and account testing, repeating the same test on a system to look for vulnerabilities — and if you are not equipped with the proper tools, your merchant account could be the next target.

Cathy Beardsley ·
profile

VerifyMy Seeks to Provide Frictionless Online Safety, Compliance Solutions

Before founding VerifyMy, Ryan Shaw was simply looking for an age verification solution for his previous business. The ones he found, however, were too expensive, too difficult to integrate with, or failed to take into account the needs of either the businesses implementing them or the end users who would be required to interact with them.

Alejandro Freixes ·
Show More