Mrs. Kelly Pierce is one of the most intelligent, enterprising and ambitious cam models in the industry. From her earliest years in the biz as an adult star, funding her trans surgeries from 2008 to 2011, to crossing over into the camming side of the fence, she has always fixed her steely eyes on the horizon.
She quickly adapted to the ins and outs of the cam model lifestyle, bringing fantasies to life for an adoring fan base that has continued to grow steadily. Along the way, she garnered mainstream attention with an appearance on VH1’s “I’m Married to A…” where her charismatic presence garnered the highest ratings of the season.
Be fun and outgoing. Actually communicate and interact with the audience. You might be really hot, but guys aren’t going to keep paying just to stare at you. You actually have to entertain them and keep their interest!
After establishing herself on Chaturbate, whose progressive network policies she lauds, Pierce honed her outspoken persona and passionate activism. She was even featured in a documentary and has participated in various talk shows.
Savvy as she is, Pierce developed a white label cam site, KellysDreamHouse.com, through Streamate. This is but one of her many revenue streams, because Pierce also runs profitable OnlyFans and Snapchat accounts. And, with the completion of her facial feminization surgeries, she now plans to produce more videos, to be sold through the likes of ManyVids.
This year, her hard work and loyal fan base paid off in spades, when she won the first-ever 2017 XBIZ Best Trans Cam Model award at the inaugural ceremony in XBIZ Miami.
Now, the veteran performer is ready to conquer new territories, with an ever-expanding repertoire of business skills and diverse interests. To honor her glorious past, present and future, XBIZ sat down with the November Cam Star of the Month, for this exclusive interview!
XBIZ: Tell us about your transition from adult movies to camming. What challenges and opportunities presented themselves, after you made the switch in 2011?
Pierce: When I decided to stop performing in adult movies, my initial intention was actually to leave the adult industry altogether and get a mainstream job. I only entered porn as a way to afford transition surgeries, so I had always planned on leaving eventually, and by 2011 I’d had almost all of the surgeries I wanted.
Obviously, the mainstream job didn’t pan out for me! To my credit, I tried for months to get a “normal” job, but my adult career always came up, since I made the mistake of using my real name as my porn name. Apparently, it’s common now for companies to Google people before they hire them. Woops!
So, since I couldn’t seem to escape my adult past, but I didn’t want to make movies any more, I thought camming would be a safe way to make money without having to perform with other entertainers or having to travel back and forth to L.A. or get tested all the time. And, I could do it from the privacy of my own home.
Camming was challenging for me at first, because it really is different from porn and takes different skills. Making movies, you only have to worry about the camera. You’re only worrying about how you look and sound on camera. And a lot of times you’re performing with a partner you can use as a crutch if you need to. Performing for a live audience is much different. To be successful at it, you’ve got to figure out what your customers want and need to hear. I’ve actually been surprised at the things I’ve learned about sexual fetishes since I’ve been camming. I had never heard of small-penis humiliation or financial domination. I mean, who knew guys were sexually turned on by women telling them how and what to spend their money on? I wish my husband was into that! Who knew there were men that want to be told their penis is small?
The transition has definitely been worth the challenge though. It’s opened up opportunities for me both personally and professionally. It’s given me more control over almost every aspect of my life. Being able to work from home on your own schedule, whenever you want means you’re not waiting for somebody else to tell you what time you have to be at what location to have sex with god-knows-who. I can work any time of any day, and how much money I earn is entirely up to me. Some times are busier than others, but if you cam on a regular schedule for a few hours you should always be able to earn money if you’re willing to work at it.
Camming has also given me more control over my brand. I choose how and what to perform and with whom. And with all the content sharing websites out there I can distribute all the self-made content I want. Camming also gave me an opportunity to feature in an episode of the VH1 reality show “I’m Married To A...,” which focused on my webcam work and how it’s affected my personal life.
XBIZ: What inspired you to create your white label cam site KellysDreamHouse.com through Streamate? How have you fostered its growth and what’s next for the site?
Pierce: I actually got the idea at an XBIZ show in Chicago. It was meant as a way to push webcam traffic to myself and expand my brand. Since most cam sites feature female models on their landing page and most visitors don’t search past the landing page, a lot of guys never even realize there are any trans female models on the cam site. So, I was hoping that having my own cam site would attract TS fans to webcamming. In terms of growing the site, I’ve honestly used social media almost exclusively to promote the site. I’ve never paid for any advertising.
XBIZ: Would you consider crossing over to adult movies again? Why or why not?
Pierce: I would if the pay was right and if the movie interested me. Porn has become so robotic. I see the same poses, same positions and same storylines over and over just with different models. Making one of those movies doesn’t really interest me to be honest. The last time I shot a movie, I actually really enjoyed it because I was able to pick who I worked with. It was a threesome scene with Roxy Rae and my husband and was nominated for an award. I think the scene was so popular because the pleasure didn’t have to be faked. So, if I ever did another film I’d have to actually want to do it, which means I’d have to be able to pick who I worked with. That’s another great thing about camming: you have total control over everything so the sex is enjoyable and not fake. I always called myself the Meryl Streep of mattress acting, because nine out of 10 times I wasn’t attracted to my scene partner.
The type of company doing the film is also a factor I’d consider. As more “straight” companies are realizing that trans women appeal to lots of straight men, more of the traditional porn studios have been venturing into trans films. Like, Jessica Drake recently did a trans scene for her Wicked showcase. Maybe they’re finally realizing that the same men who watch me on cam are also watching straight porn. I always laugh when I hear producers talking about advertising trans content to gay viewers. Whatever the reason, it’s exciting to see the trans industry finally getting recognized!
XBIZ: Why is Chaturbate your preferred cam network?
Pierce: What I have always liked about Chaturbate is its inclusiveness. Not just in how their website is laid out, but in how they treat their models, and have treated me personally over the years. It’s rare for cam sites to use trans performers as spokespeople at events. Chaturbate gave me the opportunity to take part in the Sexual Freedom Summit and to speak at Chaturbate’s Exxxotica classes. This level of trans inclusiveness is actually quite progressive for our industry! Many mainstream companies, even those that sell trans films, don’t want to feature trans performers at their booths.
There’s also a stronger sense of community among Chaturbate models. Most of us speak to one another and bounce ideas off one another. We help each other make money and support each other instead of competing viciously with one another. We respect each other’s differences and celebrate them! That makes the activist in me scream for joy!
Chaturbate also offers lots of innovative applications and games to make your room fun and troll free. I think more sites should use appointed moderators to get rid of trolls. Trolls can really have a negative impact on the camming experience for both the customer and the model. I also love the fact that Chaturbate lets you share your social media info! That’s super important for me since I use social media so much to advertise my brand.
XBIZ: In addition to camming, what other revenue streams do you pursue?
Pierce: The main two are OnlyFans and Snapchat. Now that I’ve finished all of my FFS (facial feminization) surgeries, I intend to start making more video content, which I may sell primarily through ManyVids.
XBIZ: Any advice for aspiring trans cam models, on how to build their brand and find success?
Pierce: My biggest piece of advice is to have a good work ethic. I look at camming like it’s any other job, and at any other job I’d expect to work a full day. Some days I’m on cam for six to eight hours. You can’t build a brand by being lazy! Try to make a schedule and be consistent. This way you build regulars and they will know to look for you. Be fun and outgoing. Actually communicate and interact with the audience. You might be really hot, but guys aren’t going to keep paying just to stare at you. You actually have to entertain them and keep their interest! With some customers, you can make a lot of money with just conversation. The other piece of advice I would give is to make sure girls utilize every possible form of media to push their brand. Early in a career, it’s important to get as much exposure as you can! Do not limit yourself!
XBIZ: What was it like being named 2017 XBIZ Best Trans Cam Model?
Pierce: I was sincerely shocked! I had absolutely zero expectation of winning. Over the years I’ve grown cynical about these awards because for some mysterious reason they always seem to go to girls who pay a PR person or who pay for advertising. Since I’ve never done either, I was truly grateful to win this, because it means I achieved it with my fans. In the end, I really owe a lot to my fans, who have stuck by me as my career has transitioned and changed. I was sad I couldn’t attend, but honored to be included by Leah to do a fetish class with my girl Ramona Flour. Thank you XBIZ for including trans cam models! Inclusiveness is what it is all about!
XBIZ: Tell us about your career ambitions for the future.
Pierce: Right now, I’m finishing up a trans dating book that I hope will help trans and trans attracted people find more love connections. Finding a partner nowadays is hard enough without the trans factor. My hope is that the book encourages more people to be open about and accept their trans attraction.
I’d really like to do more television appearances. I’ve done a few already, like a documentary, talk shows and a reality show on VH1, but I’m always on the lookout for a reality show project that would fit my brand. Unfortunately, most of the shows that I’ve been pitched are all about trans girls fighting among themselves and crazy drama, but I’m only interested in doing shows that don’t perpetuate stereotypes about trans girls and that show the trans community in a positive light. That’s the reason I chose to do the VH1 show. It focused on my relationship and my cam work, and not drama. I actually fought with the producers to keep our segment drama-free and trans positive. I know people in the industry tend to believe that the crazy drama is what people want to watch, but our episode was the highest rated of the season!
Finally, I hope to return to activism and do projects that benefit my community. I’d like to write a book and start a blog geared towards other trans girls. I’ve even thought about writing a children’s fantasy book that has a trans main character and pulls from some of my early life experiences. I think it would be a fun way to help parents, kids and the public in general learn about trans people while telling a fun-filled adventure story.
I’m excited for the future and I hope to keep challenging myself as a performer on camera. As long as my fans want me, I’ll continue camming! Thanks again XBIZ for the honor of the cover and this interview!
