profile

WIA Profile: Vanessa Rose

WIA Profile: Vanessa Rose

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.

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

profile

'Pleasure Professionals Place' Facebook Group Marks 5 Years of Fostering Connections

Where can you find the pleasure industry’s most tantalizing, trending and relevant conversational banter? For once, we’re not talking about a trade show after-party!

Colleen Godin ·
opinion

How Cannabis Culture Is Reshaping Sexual Wellness, Pleasure

April is a month of celebration: Lovers Day, Earth Day… and 4/20. Once a subculture symbol, “420” has evolved into a movement that bridges cannabis advocacy, wellness and an increasingly vital discussion around sexual health and pleasure.

Ian Kulp ·
profile

WIA Profile: Holly Corbella

Even during last year’s retail slump, the adult home party business continued to rock and roll — at least in New Jersey. Just ask Holly Corbella. Based in the Garden State, Corbella is the founder, CEO and lead party planner for Parties by Bellas, an intimate, in-home sex toy event company focusing on creating budget-friendly home parties for women on the East Coast.

Women In Adult ·
profile

Friday Bae Founder Benoit Palix Discusses Brand's Gen Z Focus

French sexual wellness brand Friday Bae is aiming to disrupt the market with its genderfluid, inclusive pleasure products. With bright pops of color for Gen Z and millennials to swoon over, Friday Bae is merging creativity and education for fans, dubbed the “Bae Squad.”

Namma Karp ·
profile

Self Serve's Matie Fricker on Promoting Sex-Positivity in Albuquerque

For 18 years, Self Serve has been providing a sex-positive space for adult toys and resources to folks in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The story behind its success is all about making connections: connecting with your passion, with your business partner, with your customers, with your staff and with your community.

Justin Goodrum ·
opinion

Why Inclusivity in the Pleasure Industry Is More Important Than Ever

2025 has kicked off with a series of unsettling events. Tension and anxiety are high across North America as the unknown impact of tariffs, climate change and attacks on human rights loom ominously. In times of unrest, seeking pleasure is not frivolity but necessity.

Sarah Tomchesson ·
opinion

2025's Top Tech Trends That Adult Retailers Should Know About

I just got back from the National Retail Federation’s Annual Convention & Expo, also known as “Retail’s Big Show,” where I walked the floor, sat in on key panels, talked with industry experts and influencers, and did my best to sift through the b.s. so I could report back to you all on the things you need to care about.

Sean Quinn ·
opinion

Understanding the Importance of Graphic Design in Sexual Wellness Social Media Marketing

In the world of social media, graphic design is more than just making things look visually appealing — it’s a vital tool in shaping and maintaining a brand’s identity. Your social media is your storefront, so aesthetics mean everything.

Hannah McManus ·
opinion

How Adult Retail Is Shaping Sexual Health One Customer at a Time

Remember back in health class, when they taught us about boundaries, consent and how many nerve endings are in the clitoris? Of course you don’t, because it didn’t happen. In fact, sex education is still severely lacking in much of the U.S.

Kimberly Scott Faubel ·
trends

Meet the Up-and-Coming Pleasure Brands of 2025

Over the past year, the pleasure industry has witnessed the emergence of new brands across various adult retail categories — brands that are now entering 2025 with ambitious goals for success and growth in their sophomore year.

Ariana Rodriguez ·
Show More