LOS ANGELES—Dennis Paradise always had a head for business. Growing up with an entrepreneurial father whose Chicago-based condom manufacturing business he worked and shared a passion for, Paradise knew early on the importance of building on relationships and providing customers with high quality products.
But when his father passed away unexpectedly and high inheritance taxes ended the family business, Paradise decided to strike out on his own and build a new company in the warmer skies of sunny California.
Today, the AVN Hall of Famer is celebrating 43 years in business at Paradise Marketing, a leading distributor of condoms, lubricants, sex toys and related products. Looking back on his career, the industry veteran is thankful to his clients, friends and colleagues, but most of all to his father who provided him with the experience and inspiration for success.
“My dad was in the condom business when I was growing up and when I was in high school during summers I worked for my dad,” Paradise recalled. “So when he passed, it was a difficult time … I came to California and I knew some people were in the condom business and that was before the '80s AIDS crisis hit and I was there ready to help people get involved in the business.”
It was an auspicious start for a kid who had planned to attend law school and make a career out of his passion for serving others.
“I was hoping to go to law school back then,” he recalled. “And after my dad died there was no money for school so I had to make a decision.”
With his father as his inspiration, Paradise started his own business out of his garage by tapping his old contacts and making some of his own, and Paradise Marketing was born. With his can-do attitude and energy to burn, Paradise worked seven days a week, hustling, making calls and growing his Rolodex of contacts in the manufacturing and retail side of the business.
Although he was a small fry at the time compared to other distributors, he realized that if he focused on fast shipping and keeping in constant contact with his customers, he would get more repeat clients and grow his business—like his father had always done.
And he was right. Within a year, he had doubled his shipments and was outgrowing his garage by the following year. Earning a reputation for his shipping speed and quality customer service, Paradise’s company was on the rise as it expanded into lubricants and sex toys, becoming a force to contend with.
“If you respect everyone, 95 percent of them will respect you back and five percent won’t,” he said. “But that’s how I’ve built this business and how I continue to work.”
Paradise credits much of his success to focusing on his core business of condoms, lubricants and related products rather than expanding into a vast array of items.
“I learned a long time ago that if I sold only things that I liked, I’d be broke,” he said. “I’ve learned to be a lot more humble and more focused.”
Finding kindred spirits in such adult products industry leaders and CEOs like Doc Johnson’s Ron Braverman, CalExotic’s Susan Colvin, Nasstoys’ Elliott Schwartz, El Dorado Trading Company’s Larry Garland, Pipedream’s Nick Orlandino and Bob and David Feldman, Paradise sought out their counsel and they his, as they built a bond that would continue for years.
Schwartz, Paradise’s longtime friend and owner of adult toy maker Nasstoys, isn’t surprised by his buddy’s continuing success. “The one thing I noticed about him early on is that he’s a very smart businessman. When it’s time to be serious, he’s serious. When it’s time to have a good time, he definitely has a good time,” he said. “He’s very good to his employees. They really love working for him, so I think he has that kind of trait that made him successful. He knows how to deal with his customers and his employees.”
Schwartz recalled a particular incident a few years ago with Paradise that still resonates with the two men.
“We had a good friend of ours pass away at a show. It was a good friend of his. This guy Larry Garland who unfortunately passed away. But it was a remarkable thing actually, that he took the time to call the gentleman’s wife and he told her,” Schwartz recalled. “He took it upon himself to call the wife and break it to the wife. He wanted her to hear it from him that Larry passed away. Larry’s son was there and he consoled him, so he has a good heart.”
Paradise's unique vision and dedication saw the company become the leading condom distributor in the industry today. He went from a 250-square-foot garage, to a 1,500 square-foot building, then on to a 3,000-square-foot space before moving on to a 7,500-square-foot warehouse. Today, Paradise Marketing occupies a 20,000-square-foot space that houses dozens of brands and products.
Although the industry overall suffered through the brutal 2008 recession, Paradise found the period especially good for business as orders grew by double digits.
“A lot of people were out of work and were sitting at home with not much to do,” he recalled. “So naturally, condom sales went up and we were busier than ever.”
But with the current health and economic crisis due to the coronavirus pandemic, the company has weathered the storm and is on the upswing as it continues to serve customers nationwide.
“There were some product shortages due to COVID, but we ordered extra heavy because we knew there were going to be some shortages,” he recalled.
With sales of protective equipment going through the roof and condom and related products continuing to rise, Paradise sees continued growth despite the uncertainties of the current economic climate.
“We have great customers who have been with us for years,” he said. “One buyer told me that most companies ship 50 to 60 percent of what he orders from other vendors and they may not ship it for a day or week or month, except one company that is consistently shipping an entire order next day and that’s Paradise Marketing. We’re the measuring stick and we’re the standard and I’m very proud of that.”
But perhaps most gratifying for the industry veteran is being able to mentor his clients and colleagues as they navigate an oftentimes unforgiving industry. “It’s the experience that you get with time. Sometimes someone will tell me they have a new idea, but I’ve been around so long that I’ve heard that new idea four or five times already.”
Meanwhile, Paradise is already planning to expand his warehouse to accommodate more products as demand grows.
“We’re a family and have had many of the same talented folks here for years,” he said. “Wayne Decker as my COO, and had Michelle Liss as my VP of business development for a long time, Paul Aberle as national accounts manager and my warehouse team is absolutely stunning and just so good. It’s a team effort.”
Paradise Marketing can be found online at www.ParadiseMarketing.com.
