33. What are your thoughts on the adult business today and the future of the biz? Your role in it today and in the future. Any plans on selling out/retiring?
The adult business is still within a consolidation period. The industry is following a very well proven step-by-step process that every other major innovative indsutry has followed. I compare the internet to automotive, electronics, transportation, etc. If you look back in history you will see a precise pattern to them from their infancy. It is a big boom, a big bust, and then it is followed by steady, slow growth that is usually the time when the big get bigger and the small get consumed one way or the other. It is happening in the internet industry, the hosting industry and the adult internet industry. In addition to that, I see more and more regulation coming because we have not been able to regulate ourselves. It will not be enough to "ruin" the industry, but it will be enough to make people work harder to achieve the same.
I try to conduct myself as a leader in this industry but I have never tried to push my beliefs on others. I try to be someone that people can come to and ask questions and try to give straight answers. Sometimes it is not the answers that they want to hear, but it is what I believe. I caught a ton of flack the last time that I sat on a State of the Industry Panel and told everyone that it is my opinion that the affiliate model that we all know and love will be going away and sooner than most people want to think. Needless to say that was not what affiliates wanted to hear, but I backed it up with facts that are not arguable. Now, keep in mind that it is nothing more than an opinion, but I base it in facts.
As for my future plans, I am still buying and not interested in selling....now with that said, everything has a price so if someone comes and offers me that magic number I am outta here
With that said, let me also add that my price is WAY more than anyone would ever pay me for it unless they just had more money than Carter has little liver pills.
My hope is that one day I will be able to retire and still maintain an interest in the company while the employees take the controlling interest. That would be a long time in the future, but it would be a true win-win for everyone. I want to be sure that my long term employees are well rewarded when I get to the point that I can stop coming to the office at all.