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!
Pleasure Professionals Place — known affectionately to members as P3 — is a private, industry-only Facebook group dedicated to open, honest discussions on business matters at every level of adult retail. From wholesale costs to event attendance to politically charged concerns, nothing is off-limits among the clients, colleagues and friends who make their home in the adult products space.
Pleasure Professionals Place became a safe place to voice fears, share frustrations, celebrate wins, ask for help and offer assistance.
This year, P3 is celebrating its fifth anniversary. Founded by industry veteran and Williams Trading Sales Ambassador Paul Reutershan in April 2020, the online group’s 4,300-plus members represent a mix of varied talents and interests. Alongside Reutershan, Holiday Products Senior Account Manager Molly Romeo and Paradise Marketing Sales Director Tori Titus-McCrobie are the official group moderators, encouraging helpful conversations and mitigating conflict when necessary.
Reutershan was inspired to create the group during COVID, when it became clear that the tightknit pleasure industry needed an alternative outlet to discuss business and let off steam during stifling lockdowns.
“It took a few months to really take off,” recalls Reutershan. “I remember thinking that if I got 1,000 people to join, that would be a significant success. Now, with P3 going on its fifth anniversary, we have thousands of members.”
Long before she was a moderator, Romeo kept up with the daily news and happenings among the group’s Facebook participants.
“Initially, P3 was a place for like-minded folks to gather virtually while physically apart,” Romeo notes. “That fostered a sense of camaraderie, which helped grow the purpose of the group into what it is today. Pleasure Professionals Place became a safe place to voice fears, share frustrations, celebrate wins, ask for help and offer assistance.”
P3’s early days were primarily dictated by the multitude of moods experienced by industry colleagues during the first unpredictable and stressful year of COVID-19.
“Some of the first people who contributed really set the tone for what the community turned into,” remembers Titus-McCrobie. “They weren’t just random posters or names popping up; they brought real energy and helped shape the vibe of the whole space.
“I remember those early threads that turned into full-on conversations, not just quick comments,” McCrobie says. “Sometimes it was light stuff, like memes, dumb jokes or whatever shows we were all watching. But other times, it got real. People opened up about burnout, loneliness, loss and just how tough things were. And the wild part? No one judged. That’s what made it different from the start. There was this unspoken understanding that we were all just trying to get through it, and we were doing it together.”
Though the group has always been invite-only, anyone with an interest in advancing their pleasure industry career or company is welcome to join, regardless of tenure in the sex toy sector.
After five years of growth, some of the more common types of posts include retail sales associates seeking the next step up in their job journey, business owners sharing news about price increases, and sex educators and consultants offering their services to brands. Facebook scrollers will also likely encounter reposted press release announcements, mainstream news affecting adult retail — and the more-than-occasional joke or parody post to break the ice.
With over 4,000 strong personalities, occasional friction is inevitable. Still, Romeo notes, compared with many other online groups, “drama” is actually minimal in P3.
“Most members respect the rules and spirit of the group,” she says. “There are, of course, a few members who enjoy stirring the pot or being negative,” she admits. “But they have become known within our community for that behavior, so these days, it’s taken with a grain of salt. The most important rules, the ones that keep everyone coming back, are ‘Be kind and courteous’ and ‘No bad-mouthing people, companies or competitors.’ Everything is smooth sailing as long as everyone follows those key points.”
After Romeo, Titus-McCrobie stepped up to the moderator plate, in part because of “Tuesdays With Tori,” her live interview series featuring conversations with industry experts.
“I kind of accidentally-on-purpose talked myself into it,” she laughs. “I needed admin rights to stream live in the group since it’s private, and Paul reached out to help. And, well… he hasn’t been able to get rid of me since!”
The livestream show has since become a group staple.
“I’m proof of what this group makes possible,” Titus-McCrobie affirms. “‘Tuesdays with Tori’ wouldn’t exist without this page. It gave me a platform and a supportive audience to try something new. I don’t think I’d have had the confidence to put myself out there without the encouragement I’ve found here. P3 gave me space to show up and to keep showing up.”
With the group passing the five-year mark, and membership and daily posts showing no signs of slowing, Reutershan says he and the other moderators have no plans to fix what isn’t broken.
“I see no need to try and reinvent the wheel,” says Reutershan. “I feel that 90% of the content is relevant and addresses important topics for the industry. There are currently no plans to expand the reach of P3 in other avenues, but who knows where this may go? The success of the group is because of the content created by the community.”
That doesn’t mean Pleasure Professionals Place will remain static. The ever-changing sex toy industry will always provide new topics, trends and crises to keep members charged up with opinions.
“This is still the space to help one another solve problems, utilizing the hive mind,” declares Romeo.
While opinions about Facebook and the Zuckerberg Meta-verse may vary among industry veterans, for adult retail pros near and far, Pleasure Professionals Place remains a special little corner of meaning.
“Without P3, we’d probably still be connected,” reflects Titus-McCrobie. “But not like this. Not with this level of energy, learning and real connection.”
