Amateur Porn and Vanilla Business: Can they mix and thrive?

[kortneykay]

I've heard of ex strippers, sugar babies, and escorts investing their money and owning their own businesses before but I've never heard any "coming out" stories. I've watched After Porn Ends but I don't necessarily group amateur porn and mainstream porn together. The reason being is that I don't believe an amateur entertainer has as much exposure, even with the www. With less exposure you have less risk. I know it's possible to purchase things under DBA (doing business as) names and LLCs as well. I often wonder if there are many ex-adult workers who are millionaires and are banking under a secret alias or are "silent investors". It's so easy to be a founder or co-founder and staying under the radar while building a vanilla brand. I wonder if you ventured out into business will it ever "catch up to you" and what would happen when/if it does. In this industry as an amateur porn entertainer do you think it's possible to run/own successful businesses and business ventures?

[MissSassyPickles]

Definitely! For me, there is no chance really of me being outed because my vanilla business ventures are online as well, although I eventually want to get into real estate too. I think there is more of a chance if you have to be visible in your business, like if you own a clothing store and have to be there everyday, etc. but still the likelihood of being recognized is very small.

If someone did think you look familiar they either a) wouldn't say anything because then they would be admitting they watched you and b) they might not think it would be you because you already have a business, so why would you being doing porn?

For me, I love the adult industry and plan on doing it in some facet as long as it is still profitable for me in some way shape or form (MILF anyone?!?) but I can't just do adult work all the time because I don't like when I am in "sex mode" 24/7. Then, at the same time I can't be in vanilla mode all the time because I'm a total perv!

So for me, I need to do both to feel satisfied.

Also, a lot of the skills that I use for my vanilla business applies to my adult work and vice versa so it works out nicely!

[CourtneyRaine]

That is a really good question, Kourtney! My plans outside of camming/content are 1. to set up an ecommerce site selling goods I get wholesale from China, and 2. make a living as a publised writer. I have had a few articles published and I do some ghost writing as a side gig but it is definitely not bringing in enough to replace camming. I also wonder if I will have problems with my future endeavors based on my camming? So far my writing career has not suffered in any way because I am an online model, and I don't *think* that if I ever get published (under a pen name) it would come out and negatively impact my earnings. Who knows, if you get really up there, will it will come back to haunt you? Based on my limited experience I don't *think* it will, but I am totally geared up to do GILF camming just in case

[MissSassyPickles]

@CourtneyRaine lol at GILF!

[GlamourRouge]

Running your own business? Yes. You are your own employer. Working for someone else? No. They are your employer and therefore own the rights to the image they want their business to have.

[kortneykay]

You ladies are awesome. Well, there's still a lot to think about that could make or break your earnings. You can work for yourself and if someone catches wind it could spiral out of control and they could boycott you and your brand lol. But I think the probability of that happening is extremely slim and again, if you get super paranoid you can just stay under the radar and employ other people. Eventually I'd like to franchise my small business, and then get into retail like you Courtney. I want to start ecommerce and eventually branch off into a brick and mortar chain, I like starting things and watching them grow without necessarily being the "face" of things. When you think about it, successful business owners of large companies always seem to be "hidden". I was told a pretty good business idea not long ago if you want stay under the radar. You simply set yourself as a DBA, which you could get an EIN and use that instead of your SSN. With that you then get an LLC or a Corp. The reason this is also a good idea is because if someone tries to sue you it will be hard. You simply register your company under your DBA license or whatnot and then have your LLC as the "business". They can't "sue" your LLC because it has no assets as your real company is dubbed under your DBA which isn't exposed or listed on anything. Someone taught me this when owning a pso business. For example: Your company DBA is Jones and Jones. On your sites you list it as J&J. You then get an LLC as J&J LLC, even though your company is really Jones & Jones. They can't sue Jones & Jones because all they are seeing is J&J on the sites and paperwork. J&J is not only a limited and liability source, but J&J has no assets to be sued over and there's no connection. Did that make any sense?

[ManyRoses]

They can totally work together!

There are a few different ways, as well.

Many people actually have a vanilla business under their "porn name" as well, or OPENLY link two companies. This can work if you are fairly well known, because you get so much free exposure for your other business. It's like celebrities having perfume and clothing lines - you are changing from an artist known for one talent, to a person who is a brand in and of themselves.

In terms of investments, you can do whatever you want, really. Let's face it, an "investment" really covers a HUGE range of stuff - it could be anything from buying a stock, to buying a property, to putting capital into a new company, to buying out or partnering into an existing or struggling company. For the most part, it is difficult to connect a "porn star" and a "silent investor", as the person would be using their real name to invest. Unless they were outed, the connection wouldn't be made by the public (not that many members of the general public read the investor lists, anyway!). Supposing the connection WAS made, for the most part, it wouldn't matter. The exception may be if you had invested heavily in a company whose values were very publicly anti-porn, and it became a scandal for them - in order to appease stockholders, they may call for your removal from the business. But I doubt any porn stars would be investing in companies that were anti-porn star in the first place!

Owning your own business, you wouldn't be at risk of losing the business or anything, but you may find that depending on the media coverage, being unintentionally linked to a porn career may be good OR bad for business. Making clothing for toddlers? You may lose a lot of customers if you are found out. Making clothing for aspiring playboy bunnies? You will gain a lot of customers.

At the end of the day, when it comes to investments and running a business, you don't have a lot to worry about, if only because people don't tend to care who owns a company! Think about it, with the exception of the very huge and famous company owners (Bill Gates, for example) how many CEO's and owners can you name? Walk down your local high street, and try and name the owners of all the companies on it without looking them up. Bet you are hard pressed!!! Essentially, unless there is a scandal, people don't care who the name behind the product is.

For my part, I intend to transition into writing full time - and haven't yet decided if I will use another pseudonym, or my sex worker name. Probably both! I shall most likely actually use a FEW different pen names - keeping the Scarlett Moore for the erotica, sex work related books and similar articles/advice columns, using a different name for writing vanilla books, and using a third should I write fantasy or sci fi. Will some people put two and two together? Probably - after all, my photo will be on the jacket! Will many people care? Not unless I get REALLY famous - and frankly, if I get REALLY famous as an author, I'll have enough money not to give a fuck!

[kortneykay]

Exactly my thoughts ManyRoses. There are way too many business where people have no clue. What bugs me is this, this is something I was taught/shown in sociology class.

GE: COMCAST, NBC, UNIVERSAL PICTURES, FOCUS FEATURES

NEWS CORP: FOX, WALL STREET JOURNAL, NEW YORK POST------------->Also, Rupert Murdoch and his PORN empire lol

DISNEY: ABC, ESPN, PIXAR, MIRAMAX, MARVEL STUDIOS

VIACOM: MTV, NICK JR., BET, CMT, PARAMOUNT PICTURES

TIME WARNER: CNN, HBO, TIME, WARNER BROS, AOL

CBS: SHOWTIME, SMITHSONIAN CHANNEL, NFL.COM, JEOPARDY, 60 MINUTES

The big 6. Basically all of the companies that control the media/web/tv etc. And quite a few of them clearly profit off of porn!

[ManyRoses]

Exactly my thoughts ManyRoses. There are way too many business where people have no clue. What bugs me is this, this is something I was taught/shown in sociology class.

GE: COMCAST, NBC, UNIVERSAL PICTURES, FOCUS FEATURES

NEWS CORP: FOX, WALL STREET JOURNAL, NEW YORK POST------------->Also, Rupert Murdoch and his PORN empire lol

DISNEY: ABC, ESPN, PIXAR, MIRAMAX, MARVEL STUDIOS

VIACOM: MTV, NICK JR., BET, CMT, PARAMOUNT PICTURES

TIME WARNER: CNN, HBO, TIME, WARNER BROS, AOL

CBS: SHOWTIME, SMITHSONIAN CHANNEL, NFL.COM, JEOPARDY, 60 MINUTES

The big 6. Basically all of the companies that control the media/web/tv etc. And quite a few of them clearly profit off of porn!

And I don't think that I can name the individual that owns any of them!! At least, not off the top of my head!

[GlamourRouge]

I was told a pretty good business idea not long ago if you want stay under the radar. You simply set yourself as a DBA, which you could get an EIN and use that instead of your SSN. With that you then get an LLC or a Corp. The reason this is also a good idea is because if someone tries to sue you it will be hard. You simply register your company under your DBA license or whatnot and then have your LLC as the "business". They can't "sue" your LLC because it has no assets as your real company is dubbed under your DBA which isn't exposed or listed on anything. Someone taught me this when owning a pso business. For example: Your company DBA is Jones and Jones. On your sites you list it as J&J. You then get an LLC as J&J LLC, even though your company is really Jones & Jones. They can't sue Jones & Jones because all they are seeing is J&J on the sites and paperwork. J&J is not only a limited and liability source, but J&J has no assets to be sued over and there's no connection. Did that make any sense?

Your DBA is linked to your LLC though. As it was explained to me, your DBA has to be the name of your exact business if it is not already your LLC name. They are connected. There would be a way to look it up.

I also suspect that the DBA's you listed of those major 6 are all part of a couple people's living trusts. I'm sure the info could be found if you dug for it.

[kortneykay]

Your DBA is linked to your LLC though. As it was explained to me, your DBA has to be the name of your exact business if it is not already your LLC name. They are connected. There would be a way to look it up.

I also suspect that the DBA's you listed of those major 6 are all part of a couple people's living trusts. I'm sure the info could be found if you dug for it.

Right a DBA doesn't protect your actual name if someone looked as there are easy public registries. However, it doesn't have to be the name of your LLC. If you get an LLC a DBA isn't required but if you wanted to be called another name other than your LLC, you just simply get the DBA you want. And LLC would protect your assets though because you would be paying for the protection. A DBA as a sole proprietor doesn't protect your assets. I did read that you can pay to have your name hidden from public eye when doing an LLC, or you can do a partnership and be a "silent partner" or even sign up as a S corp or C corp, etc. I watched a documentary where hundreds of businesses were all listed under one LLC where one guy was paid to "claim" he owned/ran the business and dealt with everything. The others were never exposed. It was about overseas financial outsourcing and offshore accounts.

I listed the companies on purpose, not for DBA reasons. Sorry if I wasn't clear. My main point was, if you wanted protection, you could go with an LLC for public reasons and just use initials and such if you don't necessarily want to be linked. This was mainly for someone doing an adult based site. I wanted to list the big businesses that control what we consume on a daily basis. And that some of them support the porn industry. I found it interesting that Fox News reported that school teacher yet they are owned by News Corp who is still ran by Rupert Murdoch. He's also supposedly a born again Christian.

[CurvySweet]

Having been on here nearly two years I have too say the ladies on here have inspired me. Only wished I found this site sooner! With that I now have a view to leave the industry not without getting as much £££ as possible to set up my own biz of course.