As one of the top entertainers on Playboy Plus, MelRose Michaels [NSFW link] takes pride in helping out those who are just getting started. Aside from modeling and consulting, the sex industry veteran is equals parts beauty, confidence and business savvy.
Playboy: Talk to me about your ideas, vision and development for founding Sex Work CEO?
MelRose Michaels: To give a little background, I got into the industry in 2011. That was my first real exposure to adult entertainment. I remember when I did that, there were no resources available. It wasn’t tangible for me to take action on. There was no step-by-step advice. I was struggling when I first started and there just didn’t seem to be a lot of information out there.
When I ultimately got into my career, I did eight years on webcam and found some success there. I realized people’s attention spans were pivoting from computers to cell phones, so I thought, “How do I get on people’s cell phones?” That’s when I made a name for myself. From there, OnlyFans entered the chat and the rest is history.
I got to a point in my career where I felt like, “Wow, I really achieved a lot. I accomplished a lot.” My biggest goal in life was really to have my own property or house that was big, welcoming and owned solely by me. Where it couldn’t be taken from me by the banks, because when I was little, our house got foreclosed on. We wouldn’t have anywhere to go, so, my thought process was geared toward being the person that has that safety and security for the rest of my family.
Nowadays, I’m maybe six months out from finishing my dream house. I own 80 acres of property. Most of this has been done in cash, so within a year two I’ll own everything outright. I have stability and I’m not in a place of survival anymore. I really feel the logical next step in my journey is to give back to the community that gave me everything.
Playboy: What are some common, avoidable mistakes that beginners in this industry make?
Establish your LLC and for tax purposes. When I first started, I was being mailed paper checks every two weeks. I didn’t know that taxes weren’t being withheld. I didn’t have that financial education, so I didn’t save my first year of taxes.
I made six figures throughout my first year, which was the most money I’ve ever seen. Then, the taxes come to you and I had nothing prepared for that. It took me years to get out from under that mess and that’s the biggest fear I have for new creators getting into this industry. People don’t necessarily know that they’re working for themselves and I think it can be a huge catastrophe waiting to happen.
Playboy: Are there any resources that you would point young creators toward to encourage them to learn more about what they’re doing?
MelRose Michaels: There are. We actually have a lot of strategic partnerships within the adult community and within the adult space. The resource I always point to for financial planning is another member of our community called “The Only Consultant.” She’s an accountant and has a huge firm that’s growing very quickly and specifically geared towards adult creators. She’s really well educated in what she does.
Playboy: Do you have any recommendations for people who are struggling with creator burnout?
MelRose Michaels: Creator burnout is a very real thing. The caveat to this is that there are specialists and therapeutic methods that specialize in burnout because it’s such an occurrence now. There’s a formula to it that’s centered around time off and environmental factors. That’s how I manage burnout and how I advise creators to do the same.
One thing to understand about the adult business is that our churn is typically really high. These adult purchases are typically luxury purchases. They’re impulse buys. Our turn on this audience is actually really high. So, even if you were posting content every day for a 90-day period, it’s very unlikely that it’s the same fan. Diehards and “whale tippers” are somewhat rare. If the creator is doing really well, there’s about 10 to 15 of those each.
The average churn on your lifetime value of a fan is 90 days. If you can build up a catalog of content over 90 days, you can run reruns every 90 days and still maintain your fanbase. It’s best to cater your new content to your tops fans and diehards. That gives them this exclusivity to the new stuff you’re doing, which keeps them loyal, happy and is great for revenue.
Your library of content doesn’t need to be massive. You can work a year on creating content and then never have to film anything again if you really want to. If you know your audience and about the reality of this industry, you can build up the catalog and schedule your content in a way that rotates reruns on a 90-day cycle. This manages your burnout a lot better.
Also, the platforms don’t give us a lot of data to actually know those things. Thanks to my audience, I actually have data on this stuff now. I can advise on these things from a place of evidence versus anecdotal.
Playboy: Dealing with stigmas around sex workers can be tough. The world is more accepting now, but it’s still not what it could be. For newer creators that are still finding their footing, how do you navigate this culture?
MelRose Michaels: It doesn’t really matter where in the world you are. I think shame as a societal norm is pretty common, especially if you come from some sort of religious background. In certain circles, being sexually empowered is not the norm. You’re going to feel that regardless, but I always remember, “Those that matter don’t mind. Those that mind don’t matter.”
Being in the industry acts as a filter that will sort people in or out of your life. I don’t necessarily lead with, “I’m an adult creator” every time I shake someone’s hand, but it’s usually within the first few weeks of meeting them that they ask about my work. I think once you realize that not everyone needs to be for you and also you don’t want everyone in your inner circle, it becomes a lot easier.
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