LOS ANGELES—Shay Martin, owner and vice president of Vibratex, North American importer of Magic Wand, was recently featured in an in-depth interview for Authority Magazine, a Medium.com publication.
The article, titled “Women in Wellness: Shay Martin of Vibratex on the Five Lifestyle Tweaks That Will Help Support People’s Journey Towards Better Wellbeing,” presents Martin, a breast cancer survivor, discussing her health as well as her life and work that led to the creation and success of Vibratex.
To read the interview, click here.
Martin told the magazine about learning the family business, which was started by her mother: “Through it all, we’ve maintained the same philosophies with which we started: create and maintain strong relationships; remain open minded, understanding, and supportive; and be willing to compromise.”
About navigating the novelty industry’s “boys club” mentality,” she said: “I was pushed around verbally and chastened for the way my products were designed and packaged ... I let this fear get to me, and I regret accepting all the stress and self-doubt. Thankfully, though, I didn’t change course.”
About Sex and the City’s “The Turtle and the Hare” episode, she said: “We didn’t even have HBO at home, so our customer sent us a recording of the episode. As you’d expect, sales exploded. ... This brought endless copies of our design, all of which are now generically referred to as ‘rabbit’ vibrators thanks to the name that started it all.”
About surviving breast cancer: “As Ice Cube says, ‘you better check yo self before you wreck yo self.’”
Besides offering her most important piece of business advice—“Know when the best action is delegation”—she spoke about the challenges of being in the sexual wellness field: “I wish someone prepared me for the hidden responsibility of running a company specializing in intimacy,” she told the magazine. “Because I’ve chosen this career, I’ve had so many who are more comfortable talking about sexual issues to a woman who designs vibrators than talking to their doctor—but I gladly absorb the weight of that responsibility and never take it lightly.”
For more information on Magic Wand, visit MagicWandOriginal.com or follow the brand on Instagram and Twitter.
