From Hard Hats to Handcuffs: How a Mum Built a Sex-Positive Empire |That’s The Spot Founder Tell All

Welcome to Sex in the one the podcast with B and KB getting down and dirty about all things, love, life, relationships. Welcome back to another week, Another week, another episode, not just any episode, it's special community. Within that community, we Christmas actually went and we were a duo at first, graduating our own. And then I'm like, Hey, KB, I think that's just it from. That's the spot. Yeah? And I went over, Justine, she's like, yes. And then we reintroduce us. I was like, I know you from online, and that's just like, yeah, it's been real. And then we joined forces, and we were, I'm not so retributing, but, and it was also because I was there with a girlfriend, and we were a team of two, and, you know, it worked out really nicely, yep, so yeah, for people that are in the, what wecall the sex industry, we probably should have known a bit more. Probably should have known, yeah. Well, yes. And we had a few drinks too, yeah.But I think what I guess, caught my attention when we found you online was your story and how you just become a mum at that time that you found your business. And I said, Katie, you have to see this. And I sent her the news clip to havethat are in the, what we call the sex industry, we probably should have known a bit more. Probably should have known, yeah. Well, yes. And we had a few drinks too, yeah. But I think what I guess, caught my attention when we found you online was your story and how you just become a mum at that time that you found your business. And I said, Katie, you have to see this. And I sent her the news clip to have a read of it. I'm like, we need Justine. And yeah. So for those don't know, Justine is the owner of the spot, and you'll find her online. We'll give you all the details at the end, but I really want to go into the story of Justine and how that transpired and how the business came to life. Yeah, yeah. So Well, thank you for finding me. I love that, and thanks for being interested in the story. I think it's perhaps a little bit different to other people in the sex industry, as you mentioned. I'm a mum, not so you can't be a mum in the sex industry, but I had the idea for that spot really, just after a horrible time at work, I had not long returned after my mat leave. I had my baby during covid. My mat leave is not necessarily what I thought it was going to be. I went back to work earlier than I had planned, and I guess I just started to really think, is this what I want to be doing? And I think once you have that thought in your head, it's very hard to have good days, once you start questioning what you're doing. And I had had a particularly bad height day, and that night, I was talking to my husband, and he made a joke and sort of a throwaway comment that if I wasn't happy, maybe I should start a sex shop.Exactly, it's the next step. I mean, so my career today was in construction.That's kind of construction to come, I guess.Exactly, so that's the part of the day so far construction to come in. Sowe made this joke, and, you know, we both had a little bit of a laugh. And, you know, oh, it's not that bad, but it really planted the seed in my head. And so a few days past, like, actually, I should open a sex shop. And I think the section my husband had in mind was probably very much down the kind of BDSM, like, chains and wicks. And what I started to think of was, well, my own personal experience has never felt comfortable and shopping for sex toys either online or in person, and then I started to really think about the whole gifting idea and the gifting concept of sex toys. And I've been gifted sex toys with if they're from a lover, it feels more about what they want to see me use, so it's fulfilling their fantasy. It's not really about what I'm interested in. And when I've been gifted them from friends, that just felt like a really big joke. So if you use the toy, you kind of feel like you shouldn't be using it. It's got the shame attached to it. And if you don't use the toy, well, what a waste. What present. It's a little bit of laugh at first, and then it's nothing. So I started to think, well, what if there was a space where people could feel as comfortable to gift sex toys as they are, the same sort of feeling when you're sending someone flowers or a traditional food hamper. And with that idea in my head, they just kind of started to evolve. And I started to research, and was anybody doing this? And I saw that a few gift hamper companies offered a sex toy. Gift tamper, but it was, it was buried in their sight, and it was six or seven clicks to actually find exactly the secret option. And I was like, even that in itself sort of says there's a stigma here. There's something that people aren't, you know, don't want to find it, or shouldn't find it, or we're gonna feel kind of naughty for finding it. And I thought, well, what if I could just create a space where people could shop for sex toys, either for themselves as a gift for themselves or a gift for somebody else, that it kind of felt really welcoming and stigma free. And felt, as I said before, more like the experience you have when you send someone a bouquet flowersor gifts, and then here we are, absolutely amazing. You know, we asked podcast question a week. We asked every Friday question. A couple weeks ago, I asked the question, How would you feel if someone did you sex toy? And in a background for that, I actually went into my oldest bedroom, my oldest child was 28 and I said to her, Oh, I've got a question. Question of the week, you know, what do you think I should ask? And she asked, she goes, What do you think that's gonna give you a sex toy? I found out later that was because some streamer that she follows actually mentioned that she might use some interesting streams, and so people were sending sex toys. I just took her at Facebook. You went, Oh, that's a great question, because I knew we were gonna be interviewing you, and interestingly, it matches him with what you said. A lot of the women said, Look, if it's my husband, yeah, be nice, but he's probably gonna give me a toy that he wants me to use. And if it was a girlfriend, that'd be fine. They didn't like the idea of if it was like, you know, a guy that they didn't know. Or someone random, I guess, in their life story, but they all said it was my girlfriend, absolutely that. They think that was amazing. And I thought that was a really cool I can confirm that, like a lot of people that I asked, all said similar things, yeah, yeah.And I think that's and predominantly, certainly we get partners purchasing gifts for significant other. But a lot of it is girlfriends. It's it's post divorce, it's breakups, it's birthdays. You know, it's a lot of girlfriends gifting their girlfriend. Sex toys. We think that's something. It doesn't have to I think traditionally, we've done that, you know, we've been doing that for a while, but it's always kind of been tacky, or really kind of so far in the joke zone, whereas that's the spot I like to think we're offering, sort of, there is a little bit of humor to some of our products, but mostly, you know, they're all high quality, they're all functioning toys, and there's nothing that would make you cringe. And open it,yeah, and I think, like, what's wrong with gifting something to yourself as well? If, like, I went online and I bought something from at the spot, like, and I didn't feel, you know, not missing that at all. I'm just saying that that's overwhelming for people. That is the go to. And I think you can do your research and, you know, you're looking for, you'll see a vibe and a feel, and that is a very welcoming page. And, you know, everything that sort of posts through your social media and your website, it's giving the impression like that empowerment. And it's like, gift yourself, self care. It's going down. A whole nother path to me, permission to think about Amazon so and thank you for that. And you come across this obviously very approachable and like your mother, like you're a regular human being, yeah, you know, because I think for a long time, these kind of things we've been like out there category. And, you know, Augustis great for everybody.Everybody loves. And I think that's the thing, is that certainly my experience was, and when I started researching this and speaking to people. It was that there were sort of two options, and that was to go down the very kind of chains and whips excite me, but if I don't identify that kind of person, can I still be using a sex toy or going down this other path that was, it's very empowering. A lot of you know, really interesting companies have done stuff that's really wonderful in the kind of steamer free space, but they're very cool and they're very edgy. And that's also not for everybody. And some who might think, well, not that cool, I'm not that edge. I think I can, I can purchase that toy. So I guess the aim with us as well is to be relatable. You know, as you said, I am a mum, and, you know, I don't necessarily the chains and whips exciting me, but I love having orgasm, and I have always loved having a vibrator. Soand someone can come over to your house and, you know, and check out the ducky, and they won't necessarily know what else it's used for. Well, exactly. I mean, I have a family member that has a cactus on her bookcase in her lounge room, and she's a more conservative style person. And there it is. So you do not know the cactus is, let's just jump on that's a spot. The website, and you will learn, yeah, we're gonna talk to each other. Yeah, I bought the ducky. That's why I mentioned the ducky. So I got online and I found the ducky. And interesting thing got sent to my work, because I was having sent my work. So I opened up without realizing what I was getting, like sex, toying on the side or anything. But I got it out, and I said to my girlfriend, who was, who was in my shop at the time, you know, I've got I've got this, trying to show her, like, quietly, show me what I got. She goes, you can show my kids, and I don't know what that is, and we turn it on, or dances, yeah, and other kids. And then, so anyway, one of her children ended up asking, multi functional, multi purpose. And I came home, put on my kitchen table. My dog found it. So forthose of you that follow along the pod, therewas one of me having an interestingdate that did not go well. During the date, I actually had a bath and was able to use the ducky in the bath. And I will tell you, the duck saves Well, at least I can get through today. Now, I've had a duck duck it Do you have any sex stories that you share? Or are you more a bit of a, like, a general thing? What do youwant to know? I mean, I've had sex, I have a child.What kind of sex stories do youwant to share? But like, you know, like, for example, your use of the toys. Like, how have you found your own toys? How did you tackle the idea for the toys?Yeah, that's it for you first. Well, it sort of was, and I think, um, yeah, I think selfishly, I did sort of create a sex shop for me, and I looked for toys that I would be interested to use, and toys that I would choose to purchase, you know, and I think when I first started it all, I didn't fully expect that. Then I get to this point where I've created these kind of empowering experiences, you said, being about people purchasing for themselves. So they might have traditionally comfortable, too. I chose the toys with lots of sampling really tough timesjust toying out the toy. Is it fun? Is it good? I better try that a second time with the test like, what's the rankings? How do you test those? Well, how do you rank them? Yeah, so you do have to test them a lot,because you don't think this is how I just naturally want to use it. Then you know, how might someone else I look for battery life. How is the battery life using? How many different ways can be used? What are the different settings like? And then, once I sort of deem a toy a puzzle option, send samples out to my body collection, Toy Testers. Yeah, I have a sample audience, and then so I will then test different toys with them so I can get, obviously, I am my own body. And you know, we're all so different in absolutely what we find pleasurable and even just how we even just how we approach a toy a new toy. So then they go out to my testers, and then depending what they think and feel, then it was whether I ended up stocking something in the collection. And yeah, I think as well I was looking for. So my favorite sex toy of all time before, I mean, that's the spot, was kind of a traditional silver bullet, like it's about day long. My husband used to call it Steely Dan, but I know that's actually what people are calling him over his name's Daniel. I name's Daniels, so yeah, and I think then obviously going always your question, or, if you want to juicy story, the one who asked theinappropriate, sort of too much questions, and then be like, prone to me in and I hones me in and ask something. It seems like becoming a mum sort of cracked you open a little bit. You'll definitely crack open, but we're all cracked, very broken women, Japanese gold, both shiny, but I do recall having a conversation with you before you had your brother or not above her anymore, and like to touch on the pregnancy and how you felt during that time. Yeah, I think this might have been circling around your mind before that, like knowing that you weren't met in theconstruction industry my whole life to date, has maybe been leading this moment you reckon, yeah, so I think, and this is maybe what you want me to touch on, that is this particular story. So I've alwaysloved masturbating, and I think I didn't know I wanted to hear this, but I do. You're in. No, okay, there's just no better stress reliever.There's no better as well. Intimacy connected with me, my husband, if every company having sex, but you have a mutual session like I just there's so many good things that come from masturbation. And for me, toys have just always been far more efficient, effective, and so especially towards the end of my pregnancy, I was never a woman during my pregnancy that wanted to have sex. I can't even say that. I really sex. I can't even say that I really felt women, you know, have this huge sex role. I just felt fat and ugly for most of it, and, um, and it was covid, too. And, you know, towards the end of my pregnancy, I really relied heavily on my Steely Dan. And I think it's something that's actually not discussed a whole lot, is that we talk about sex during pregnancy, but we don't necessarily touch much on self pleasure during pregnancy and towards the end of my pregnancy. So I'm talking pregnancy. So I'm talking probably like the last six weeks. I was using silly Dan every single night, and I meant to check these before coming on in case I did tell this story about this fun fact, because a girlfriend since told me that the baby really enjoys the sensation of the mother orgasm. And I remember my baby, and they would give a little late to dance afterwards. And they also, again, the same girlfriend said there was something to it about creating a more relaxed baby. Now, more relaxed baby. Now I don't know, yeah, well actually, and I do, my son is just like a little lamb. He's so chill, and was a really chill baby. So funny story One night I was having a go enjoying my huge pregnant body, and I've never sweated before. Sweating when you're that pregnant so you don't know whatthat feels like. My husband's actuallyat work. I was working nights at the time, and then a few moments passed,I just was not, you know, it was kind of a White House. If this was my waters breaking, did you feel like but neveragain. Since never again since.So that's a big commitment for one moment, but as aresult, that's what does also have a postpartum care pack, but it's gonna be any mum, and he plays a toy, and then basalts and lip balms and all the things that you don't know youneed, like you reallythought out of the box for a couple of minutes on a Friday, but you might also need that chocolate, you know, five o'clock on a Wednesday. Like, yeah, you know. And I think that those details matter, and that's what we've been watching, right? Yes, exactly, absolutely, yeah, I know. Again,early stages, when I was speaking to a girlfriend of mine, and her husband had to afford her some sex toys, and he ordered them online, and we ran out for drink, and I started telling you the idea I had set up the spot, and she's like, Oh my gosh. And told me these toys that you can give and then this plastic wrap, and then how much wrap and shoved in the post bag. And she's like, I haven't used them. Well, how would you felt, beautifully presented with chocolates and, you know, maybe some hot chocolate bath salts. How would you use them, which I would have felt like it was really for me and something that's for me to text, but also the note that you bought in Yes. I mean, yeah. Well, different people get different notes. Do you mean my handwritten notes? Yeah, yeah. So different people handwritten notes? Yeah, yeah. So different notes. So if you send the gift, you can tell me the handwrite, and then you can write all the parts, and then, yeah, depends on the gift and where it's going, but we do find something niceand say different things too, yeah. So then I put the door of a fridge, and I still wanted to know what that was, and so I told them, they went Britney. Yeah,I'm hiding all this business,yeah, so how many, how well, how old are you guys business?Yes, thank you. It's a big achievement. Thank you, it's a big achievement. And I think we were only one. So no one is a big achievement. I think, you know, you see so many podcasts and businesses start and not so many continue on. So I think, you know, 12 months or two years, or, you know, we all make it three years. It's something to celebrate. Because I think there are great days like today. This is fun, but there are really hard days, you know, there's getting blocked on social media, there's helping your ads not be able to run. There's, you know, perhaps somebody has a less perfect experience, like a soul crushing so we have these tough days, but I think people stick out for they want really great days. And, you know, the positive customer messages and, you know, good reviews and the good experiences, and people, you know, send me an email saying, like, I've never had an orgasm like this before. A lot of customers that we do have are purchasing their first toy. They haven't used a sex toy before, so I think that's a testament to research. And then when we first reached out to the sex toy Expo, yes, yeah, the Asia adult Expo. So inspiration from there. It's very inspiring. It was so much fun and many toys, I was overwhelmed just watching the videos. It was overwhelming even so it took us, it runs for three days. It does so that'smy husband, yeah, like,what of it? And it was two full days just to get through everything. And I think because it was our first time going, we were looking at everything. I had a very clear idea of what I was able to look for, which is really exciting stuff that's working on my cut top. Yeah, and they get it was just, it was, it was so inspiring, and it was so great to see what new technologies are available and what products are out there that just haven't been hit the market here. But it's definitely overwhelming to take a few sort of pause breaks that had, like, you stuck it to the bench, and then it had a ball in it, and it and it shoots the ball out and inside you, like, separate from the toy, yeah, probably. And it like, I don't know where it goes. It's the end. It's something,yeah, there's, you know, the wild toy that likes to be up to you. You're like, I'm gonna see anything like this.I have not seen so I have seen toys that you can pump and flake inside you, but I had never seen ones without faces on them. Oh, yeah. So that was okay, entertaining. I had also never seen a unicorn, like a teddy bear unicorn, a motorized teddy bear unicorn on its belly, has a kind of penis that can become a rect. Oh, yeah, become so it can be faster or a rect,and it's a uniform, yeah? I mean, so, I guess you could just besitting in a room each to their own, Nock, someone. But I was like, That is interesting. I mean, that idea is interesting. Interesting. I mean, that idea is interesting.That's interesting. I mean, so muchstuff. We're just going to remember.The menu is madam mango.That is a very popular it's a palm vibe. Yeah, it'sjust like, it's right there, you know, like, if you were to cut a mango cheek off, yeah, it'sreally great for sort of targeted stimulation. But then the size can be nice for massage, you know, areas of the body you might feel nice. Yeah, then we have the duck, which is called Duke. And so the duck is, duck is probably the most gifted toy, and I think because it's, yeah, it's funny, it's cute, it's entertaining, but it does also work. And if anyone's playing at home, daughter, I recommend the full head over just head over just Yeah, I think the top of the head is my power best selling productis just amigos.So just amigos so Dominguez is a two in one toy. I think that a locusto ad from, you know, 15 years ago to know that.Why don't we help a Mexicanbean advertising, YouTube advertising. Anyway, it's a two months so you got a suction head, and you got a vibrating bulb on the other end, and that bendable spine, so you can use them together, separately, with a partner. Yeah, it's got lots and lots of options. So that's your most popular. That is our most popular. We've sold out four times, and hopefully we won't sell out again between now and Christmas, but I'm waiting for some more stock tool, like, yeah. It goes Yeah. So also hopefully the stock arrives will fall and then we have bestie. So bestie is very elegant looking. It's a resembles the shape of, say, a finger, and it's kind of a contemporary take on a bullet style vibe, but a nice, kind of soft fruit head, internal external use. Again, it's quite slim. So for internal use, that, again, if people look into their first toy, it's a great one. Who have we got littlebar? Little bar, youlittle bad is a suction toy section. Toysare really popular, and I think so it creates a sensation of oral sex. It's a very interesting, yeah. So I mean, my opinion, it's better than oral sex just because the rhythm so consistent, okay, and it doesn't get worn out. So consistent. But yeah, again, compact, acute, really easy to use. That's common theme around all the toys. That's easy to turn it on. It just turns on exactly. There's nothing worse than there's, like, when there's like, four or five buttons, yeah, exactly the most high ones, yeah. But one of my tweet testers enjoys the most code, but I'm like, Instagram handle. Yeah, so Instagram handle is, that's the spot AU, because of what I sell. You willing to type in exactly that way.Thank you. Thank you. You do havea gift for our listeners as well. Exactly, it's yourbirthday, my birthday. And, yeah, that's, um, let's kick everyone's festive season. So for your listeners, they can use the code sexy one, so that's sexy, and then spell out the word one. Don't put them, none of it. Actually spell the word and that will give them 20% off. Oh, wow,it's festive season experience.That's the spot. So it's 20% of all the pleasure Power BI, 20% off the pleasure cards, 20% off all the gift packs. And we also do offer a pleasuresubscription, and 20% for yourfirst subscribe that experience. That'snext week, everyone listening to sex in the one an original podcast created by kbnb Bye.