She left the corporate world to sell sex products

Today, almost half of small businesses in Brazil are run by women, according to data from the Instituto Rede Mulher Empreendedora (IRME). The contingent exceeds 30 million, in a universe of 52 million people, according to data from the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor 2020 (GEM).

However, in a society where female audiences face the chasm of gender inequality, becoming an entrepreneur is an art. When it comes to sexuality, everything becomes even more of a challenge.

In this scenario, Isabela Cerqueira, the creator and CEO of Good Vibres, a company that appeared on the Internet with the popularization of sexual well-being, managed to rebrand the segment. At the age of 26, the engineer quit her job at a multinational company and started a company in the back room of her house.

In order to break taboos about sexuality and change the eroticized approach to sex toys, female masturbation and other topics, Isabela focuses on the debate on this topic and the sale of accessories that increase the capacity for pleasure in intimate moments, such as vibrators, pacifiers, lubricants, etc. .

Treat sex naturally

She says she was always very natural with topics about sex. No wonder, Good Vibres was born out of a desire to help people experience their sexuality in a healthier and happier way.

For Isabela, blockages in communication and sexual experience arise due to taboos, a reflection of generations of women who were not taught to know their own bodies, their desires and potentials for enjoying pleasure.

“I always liked to talk about sex and saw it as something natural. However, when I brought up the topic in a conversation with friends, I realized that this is not a reality for most people,” she explains.

The project came to life in 2020, during the pandemic, when she started this discussion on Instagram with her friends, bringing several points about sexuality in an open way, expanding the circle of conversation for those who wanted to hear and talk about sex without taboos. The site grew much faster than I imagined.

Suddenly it became a business

The hook for combining sexual content came when she revealed her passion for sex toys and how crucial they were in her personal process of sexual self-discovery. Many people have started looking for advice on erotic articles for this purpose.

At that moment, she realized how difficult it is to find quality products on the market, at affordable prices, that are aimed at personal satisfaction. Then he took the opportunity to turn that passion into a company.

In October 2020, Isabela quit her job under the CLT regime and literally put her face in front of her brand. With almost 90k followers, she is the image of Good Vibres and posts videos with thousands of views that openly talk about pleasure in a humanized way.

In just two years, Good Vibres has shown exponential growth. In September 2022, the income has already doubled compared to the entire year 2021. With constant expansion, Isabela and her team, which now numbers a total of eight people, have already had to change offices twice after the small room that housed their first headquarters.

A moment of expansion

Now the entrepreneur is focusing on expansion. Both in the discussion of sexuality and in sales. She started a post-graduate study in sex education in order to expand the educational content, and she just launched the first product of her own product line – the vegan lubricant and moisturizer Senses Lubri. In 2023, the goal is to create more partnerships with large department stores and drugstores to launch other original products.

In recognition of her work, the entrepreneur was invited to be a member of the business council for e-commerce and retail of the Trade Association of Rio de Janeiro (ACRJ).

“Contributing to the creation of jobs and becoming the executive director of an institution with 212 years of tradition was a turning point in my career,” emphasizes Isabela Cerqueira.

“The beginning was very difficult because talking about such a sensitive topic unfortunately still means hearing a lot of criticism and bullying. Many people were uncomfortable talking about a topic that, in my opinion, should be natural. Nevertheless, I continued with the idea that I cannot talk about sex without taboos if I am ashamed or afraid to openly face the subject on social networks with my picture. Being a woman and deciding to join the erotic market requires courage and resilience to face the patriarchal world you are playing against. But with a lot of love, truth and innovative strategies, today we are the forerunners of sexual well-being and help thousands of people on that path”, she analyzes.

Despite the challenges, Isabela believes that hard work, clear goals, connecting the company with a purpose that makes sense and building a good team are some of the decisive factors for success.

“Entrepreneurship doesn’t expect you to have an inspired or productive day, so I believe that the way an entrepreneur manages difficulties, managing to generate effective solutions and opportunities, is key to the company,” concludes the CEO.

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