OAKLAND, Calif.—Adult retailer Feelmore and owner Nenna Joiner have been getting recognition on various fronts lately, including from a U.S. Senator and a local ice cream shop.
Joiner recently attended U.S. Senator Kamala Harris’ town-hall meeting recently in Oakland, Calif., where the politician discussed Californians, their communities and the country.
As the program progressed, the floor was opened to questions, and Joiner seized the opportunity.
“My heart was jumping out of my chest. How often do you get to have dialogue with a Senator?” said Joiner. Joiner opened with, “My name is Nenna I own Feelmore, a retail store in Oakland.” There was a brief drop in audio which prompted Senator Kamala Harris to ask Nenna to “plug” the business after not hearing the name. It is not often a sex store owner gets asked by a politician to publicize their business in church. Joiner answered with, “It’s a sex shop called Feelmore,” eliciting laughter from Harris and the crowd.
“It was an opportunity one could not pay for,” Joiner said. “I was genuinely there to understand the information and influence change in my community and in doing so was presented with the opportunity!”
To see the exchange, follow Feelmore on Instagram at Feelmore_AG. Additionally, searching for the town hall on C-Span provides the entire quip beginning at 1:05:00.
In addition to chatting with a U.S. Senator, Joiner and Feelmore have been approached by Humphry Slocumbe Ice Cream of San Francisco to be apart of a marketing campaign introducing the company to Oakland. Feelmore will be one of six businesses that will have a unique flavor for a month in all three of their locations. Humphry Slocumbe’s third location is a few blocks from Feelmore at ‘THive’ business park.
“When the co-owner Jake Godby and Amie, head of business, came into Feelmore, I greeted them like we do everyone, with enthusiasm and respect! Amie said they were from Humphry but was just hanging out in the neighborhood checking things out as they were moving in soon,” Joiner said.
December will be the month the Feelmore flavor will debut, but in the meantime the community has the opportunity to taste other flavors.
Collaborations that sit outside of the adult industry are rare but coveted.
“It was great to have a company with their amount of brand awareness want to collaborate with Feelmore. I’ve wanted more collaboration for us inside of the industry but will take this win with great pride,” said Joiner.
In 2015, Bon Appétit called Humphry Slocumbe “Ice cream for adults by adults.”
The tentative flavor will be Tamarind, Caramelized Banana, and a spice cookie named Cookie Sutra after the book written by Edward Jaye.
Finally, Feelmore Adult Gallery has been selected by the East Bay Stonewall Democratic Club—the longest serving LGBTQ advocacy organization in the East Bay—to receive Stonewall’s 2017 Small Business Owner Leader Award.
The award is given to a LGBT Business Owner who has demonstrated innovation and is making a difference in the quality of life in the community.
“It is an honor to be awarded this honor. Knowing the genuine work we do to connect others to information and stay active in the flow of information is important personally and professionally. To have a community that people can believe and are safe in is important. We want our community to reflect the clear diversity and values in our city. I believe Oakland is there yet we still have work to do,” said Joiner.
Joiner has continually been active in their community and most recently as a board member of Oakland’s Landmark Board appointed by the Mayor and prior to that a Delegate for the DNC in Philadelphia representing Congressional District 13.
Business owners in the adult industry have quite a bit of influence that could be used to champion multiple causes. It is not easy to have a heart for community and stepping away from your business to help but just as owners have the opportunity to influence change in the body, they can also change their community.
For more, email [email protected]; call (510) 891-0199 or visit Feelmore510.com.
