Today we’d like to introduce you to Tiffany Yelverton.
Hi Tiffany, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Prior to beginning Entice Me, I was in a very stressful restaurant career that was consuming my life. I was working over 60 hours per week and had no time to myself. I had loved it for a long time, but it was becoming a very toxic environment, so I knew I needed to do something else. I was struggling emotionally, mentally and physically. I didn’t know how I would get out of my corporate career, which I had given so much to, but I was ready for a change that I was passionate about. I had never planned on working for someone else to be honest. I had always imagined I would own my own business.
After exploring different fields, I had narrowed down my options when I attended a “pleasure party.” The only thing I could think of throughout the uncomfortable, cheesy experience was that this could be done so much better. It would be better received if the environment was more elegant and educational. Intimacy and pleasure are subjects we need to be able to discuss openly, just not with the crass undertones. That is when I came up with the idea of “The Little Black Dress of Pleasure.”
I envisioned creating, not just a company, but a community where women could come together and talk about sex, sexual issues, relationships and shop in a non-judgmental, discreet environment, after all most stores for adult products are pretty intimidating. I desired the company to be “couture”-Different than what was out there in 2011. The Little Black Dress of the Adult Industry. A company that was the Le Perla of lingerie instead of the Fredrick’s of Hollywood, but for the adult industry. Classy and Sassy… women wearing little black dresses, fishnets, pearls… having their own businesses and sharing knowledge and experiences, products that were the best on the market, good for your body, elegant. I wanted to do workshops, girls’ night out parties, talk with women about issues we all have. To many, it is still taboo for women to talk about sex, but our culture is inundated with sexuality, and it is a normal part of life and marriage. Society tells us women that we aren’t normal, not the “perfect woman,” not pretty enough, not skinny enough, or sexy enough. 98 % of American women have body-image issues, relationships suffer because of this, 76 % of California marriages end in divorce, and sexual issues are a top cause. I want to change that. So, I created Entice Me.
I began hosting pop-up events at my home to introduce my friends to my new concept.
As I was developing the company, I noticed something disturbing happening…. My pleasure objects were changing color on each other… and I thought, if they are doing that in a box, what are they doing in my body? That is when I discovered that chemicals that were outlawed in children’s toys were allowable in adult products. This led me to curate a line of luxury products that are all body-safe and non-toxic, which I presented at home parties and topic-specific workshops.
Soon my customers were asking to continue the conversations we were having at the events, in a private coaching setting. I look at myself as more than a coach, more than a mentor, as someone who can guide women to pleasure. Now, not only do I coach individuals and couples, I host luxury getaway retreats to boost self-love, confidence and pleasure, in and out of the bedroom.
From the beginning, products were the gateway to opening up the conversations around intimacy and pleasure. And offering them in safe comfortable spaces like the Sexy Soirees (home parties) and wellness offices has begun to normalize and facilitate discussions. I have developed a team of Sexinistas who represent Entice Me in the medical field and households across the US and in Aruba.
Throughout the years, I have continued to be an advocate and pioneer for safe products. It is important to our health and well-being. The chemicals that I mentioned above can cause endocrine disruption and are linked to Cancer. Continuing this mission has led me to develop Sexy Survivors, where I work with female cancer survivors to love and trust their bodies and revitalize their relationships after life-changing treatment. The next step for Entice Me and Sexy Survivors is to provide this program and training for survivor groups, Medical Practices, Hospitals, Alternative Cancer Treatment Centers, and Non-profits.
I have found that women who survive breast cancer and genital and reproductive cancers are especially deficient in body confidence and at risk for failed relationships. We aim to support them in their journey to fall in love with themselves again!
We have come a long way from the days I hosted parties in my home. While my Sexinistas are creating those experiences, I am out advocating, speaking, and hosting other events. Some of my favorite events we do are my Breakfast at Tiffany’s, teaching online group courses like Empowered Passion: A Journey to Rediscover Your Sensual Self, and hosting self-love retreats in Aruba.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I knew that challenging the patriarchy and the Puritanical nature of America would have its challenges due to the taboo nature of the subject matter. Even though sex sells everything, it is still a subject that many people are uncomfortable with.
What I didn’t expect was the flat-out censorship in the business world. When I began Entice Me 13 years ago, I was told I would not be eligible for small business funding. Not only that, I have had bank accounts closed, merchant services denied, websites taken down even though everything we do is classy and educational and in no way graphic. We present in a clinical manner and come at pleasure as a health benefit.
In some ways things have improved, however we still pay more to process credit cards than other retailers and social media is a landmine for words that we can and cannot use.
Even though I had run a 7-figure restaurant, running my own business is an entirely different world. It has its ups and downs, just like life. The pandemic forced us to shift to more online promotion and sales where previously I had built the business through in-person networking and our main source of revenue was our parties, which were no longer an option.
Thankfully, people were home and wanting to explore so business flourished the past few years. Yes, there are stressful days, but nothing compared to the stress of working for someone else.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next, you can tell us a bit more about your business.
While many refer to me as the ‘Sex Toy Scientist’ because of my dedication to body-safe, non-toxic sexual health, wellness, and pleasure objects. But really my expertise is in guiding women to uncover hidden talents and desires to share with the world. To see the best in themselves and to put themselves as a priority. This begins with inspiring them to step into their life-force energy of sexual power. People have always felt extremely comfortable sharing intimate details of their lives with me, even upon first meeting. I have a background in corporate training and talent development, so coaching is not a new endeavor for me. For decades, I developed training programs and mentored top performers to ascend the corporate ladder. For more than half my life, I have been researching, learning, and experimenting to create my most vibrant, intimate life and to be able to teach others to do the same.
I have designed my business to be a seamless part of my life. There is no start and stop when I am home from work. Entice Me is me. I am the Little Black Dress of Pleasure. Everything about my brand embodies who I am and what I value, from the aesthetics to our core pillars.
While I don’t see myself ever abandoning our core customers and my vision of closing the pleasure gap by offering luxurious pleasure objects, courses, coaching, and Breakfast at Tiffany’s events, I am dedicating more time into the very underserved market of cancer survivors with my Sexy Survivors platform. One of the most overlooked areas during the treatment process is empowering survivors to return to a normal sex life. The physical, psychological, and emotional scars from body-altering surgeries and treatments affect intimacy in multiple ways. We teach survivors to fall in love with their bodies after these traumatic experiences and to reintroduce intimacy into their lives, with or without a current partner. Sexy Survivors is an online, stand-alone program that can be integrated into any existing support system at non-profits, cancer centers, and hospitals.
We love surprises, fun facts, and unexpected stories. Is there something you can share that might surprise us?
That I majored in Fashion Design and had planned to design clothes for rock bands. Also, I am pretty shy. I’m an introvert, but once I get to know you, I come out of my shell. (I am a Cancer by the way)
Pricing:
- Sexy Survivors Pilot Program $97
- Empowered Passion: A Journey to Rediscovering your Sensual Self: $2750
- Courses $27-$3500
- Non-Toxic Pleasure Products $15 and up
- Breakfast at Tiffany’s $325
Contact Info:
- Website: www.enticeme.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/enticemesoirees
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tiffany.yelverton
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tiffanyayelverton/
- Twitter: www.twitter.com/enticemesoirees
- Youtube: www.youtube.com/enticeme
- Other: www.tiffanyyelverton.com/pc
Image Credits
Aruba Photo and Films
