Spizoo is Revolutionizing the Adult Industry & Getting People to Pay for Content
First, the music industry fell with Napster in the early 2000s. Next up was mainstream movie industry feeling a loss of revenue with piracy. For the past 10+ years, the adult industry has seen a huge loss in revenue because of tube sites giving away their content for free. Fans decided they didn’t want to pay for what they could get for free. Many studios have closed their doors, performers are working less, and creative content really doesn’t exist. But, there are standouts like Spizoo. They create content that makes people want to pay to join their site, and they’re truly an original. Many insiders thought that Virtual Reality (VR) would save the industry, but Spizoo is proof positive that doing something different is what it takes to get people to open their wallets.
I sat down with Spizoo founders Jessica Jaymes and Mr. White, and picked their brains to find out how they have been able to not only succeed, but also thrive in the adult industry, and much more.
What was your background prior to working in adult?
Mr. White: I came to America to get into the music biz. I met Jessica, one thing lead to another, and I got into the adult biz.
How many years have you been in the industry and how did you get your start?
Mr. White: It’s been over 10 years. I started by building websites, and at the same time learning photography, videography, editing, and marketing. My goal was to be as independent as possible, even if it was a hard and long process to become successful.
Jessica Jaymes: I’ve been in the industry for 19 years. Prior to that, I was an elementary school teacher by day and worked at gentlemen’s clubs at night in Phoenix, Arizona. Play Time Magazine featuring me was my big break in 2001. Shortly after that, I signed with a talent agent. From there, things took off beyond my wildest dreams. I’ve been photographed by the biggest adult photographers like Suze Randall and Earl Miller and featured on every major men’s magazine around the world. I’ve worked for all the top studios, appeared on Playboy TV’s “Totally Busted”, and was Hustler’s first contract star.
You were Hustler’s first contract model, a Hustler Honey of the year, a Penthouse Pet, and a frequent guest on Howard Stern, plus you were inducted into the AVN Hall of Fame last year. These are all great achievements. What do you consider to be your greatest achievement?
Jessica Jaymes: I’ve had many achievements and accolades that I’m proud of…representing a world-renowned company like Hustler, winning Best American Starlet at the Delta de Vinere Awards in Italy, becoming a Penthouse Pet in 2008, scoring Twistys Treat of the Month status, and multiple appearances on Howard Stern (who’s a joy and a true gentleman). But, my proudest achievement was starting Spizoo in 2008 with Mr. White. From the beginning, starting my own company was always the end goal. When I met Mr. White in 2007, my business fantasy became reality. We literally picked up a small hand-held camera and started working. Our empire went from two dedicated people to our own studio with a hard-working staff, amazing performers, make-up artists, and wardrobe stylists. Getting inducted to the AVN Hall of Fame was a close second—it validated and recognized all my hard work and dedication to this industry.
I read that Larry Flynt was your mentor. I’m sure there are many people that look up to you in the same way. What advice to do you have for other adult stars or people wanting to get into the industry about becoming entrepreneurs?
Jessica Jaymes: Yes, absolutely Larry Flynt was an amazing mentor, as well as a friend, boss, and colleague.
Thank you for the compliment. There are a lot of people in the industry that do look up to me, and it’s very flattering. It’s all about hard work—if you do the work, you’ll get the success. Be smart with your money. A lot of people think it’s all about making a lot of money quickly and spending it just as fast. The key is to save and/or invest. Always be professional and don’t speak negatively about your fellow associates/peers. It takes time and dedication. I didn’t get here overnight. Dedicate yourself to the craft and be ambitious!
Your website is one of the most popular on the Spizoo network. What is your favorite thing about working for yourself and creating your own content?
Jessica Jaymes: It would be complete freedom and creative control. It’s extremely gratifying to truly make a fantasy a reality. The thing I like the most is having an idea, putting it on paper, and making it come to life for the world to enjoy, as well as the entrepreneurial side and being in control of your own payouts and finances. It’s a lot of hard work, but in the end it’s a win-win situation!
What made you want to start your own studio?
Mr. White: When I started, many girls had their own websites but weren’t happy with their webmasters. I saw an opportunity to change things and secure a future and business for Jessica and me.
What is a typical day like for you?
Jessica Jaymes: It varies. I might be doing an interview, going to various studios to shoot, or traveling. A more common day for me would be getting into hair and make-up done in the morning and shooting for my site and/or company. When we started Spizoo, it was insane. I’d wake up in the morning, book the talent, build all the sets, and set up all the shoots. Mr. White did all the lighting, shooting, editing, financial, etc. We’d both direct and produce the shoots. Now, it’s a well-oiled machine with a much larger staff. I can focus on my performance in front of the camera, and work for other companies.
You have had mainstream success with appearances on “Weeds”, Indie flick “How To Make Love To A Woman”, and “VH1”. Do you plan to do more acting?
Jessica Jaymes: I plan on doing more acting in the future, when the right opportunities present themselves. I’ve never been crazy about scripts and prefer a general premise to get a more organic reaction from my acting. That’s how I landed “Weeds”. My casting coordinator from Playboy TV told me they were doing auditions in Hollywood. I was the last one to show up, and 150 adult stars auditioned before me. I walked in there, played myself, and didn’t even look at the script. I told the cast and crew I’d never heard of the show, wasn’t going read a script, and let’s just start bantering. That’s exactly what I did opposite Kevin Nealon, Justin Kirk, and Andy Milder. They called me an hour late. They didn’t want me for just one episode, they wanted me for two.
Why the name Spizoo?
Mr. White: Spizoo was a name we created that didn’t really mean anything, but we loved the way it sounded.
You feature some of the biggest names in adult and newcomers too. Which do you prefer to work with and why?
Mr. White: We work with many performers and help them to be as independent as they can. I really have enjoyed shooting with Cherie DeVille, Anna Bell Peaks, Romi Rain, Karma RX, Abigail Mac, Nikki Benz, Valentina Nappi, Jillian Janson, Penny Pax, and of course Jessica Jaymes. We really think that new girls like Athena Faris, Emma Hix, Jane Wilde, Nia Nacci, and Carolina Sweets are on their way to superstardom.
You do the typical gonzo-themed scenes, but you also offer some highly creative content that’s like nothing out there, including robots, holiday-themed scenes, priests and nuns, zombies, and a whole lot more. What inspires you to come up with these types of scenes? And, do you think the variety of scenes help you retain members to your site?
Mr. White: I like to create content around the performers and their needs. Unlike other studios, performers are our main important focus. If one of the performers like acting, gonzo scenes or holiday themes, we get creative and make them part of the magic. We offer a variety of several sites and are always adding new sites. Our customers are happy, love the variety, and keep paying for their memberships.
What’s the craziest scene someone has ever written in and asked for? Did you film it and do you sometimes get your ideas from fans?
Mr. White: We are adding polls to our member areas, so that the fans can send us their ideas and make their fantasies a reality. We know the value of listening to our customers and learning what they want to see.
You have your own Premium Snapchat account. It’s another way to make money in the industry. Do you find it increases memberships? What kind of content do you offer on that platform? Do you let performers do Snapchat takeovers for you?
Mr. White: We do work very hard on this and love to bring an extra flavor to our customers. They get to come to set with us and see what our business is about, plus they can see how fun our shoots are. We even get girls to grab their phones and do interviews with us and show the happy side of our biz. It’s even more fun when the crew and everyone vibe on set just right.
DVD sales haven taken a huge hit. Millennial want everything immediately on VOD. You still release DVDs. Why do you offer it and is there still money to be made there?
Mr. White: We work with a couple of great distributors—they’re really great people and we’re blessed to have them on our team. Yes, DVDs aren’t as big as they used to be, but it’s still a great way to market your brand, as well as the girls to get their names out there.
Piracy is a huge issue in the industry. What are you doing to make sure your content isn’t pirated. Do you have any partnerships companies that fight piracy?
Mr. White: Yes, we do work with few companies for DMCA removal. We’re actually adding more protection to our content, as well with newer technologies like fingerprinting and much more.
The adult industry is on a decline with free content on tube sites and many unwilling to pay to join sites, buy DVDs, etc. What do you think will change that? Do you think VR and other technology will save the industry?
Mr. White: I think VR is a newer niche, but technology is moving really fast. We’re not heavily invested in VR just yet. We do work very close with a few of the tube sites and try to have a great business relationship that generates revenue for all of us.
What’s coming up for you? What are some of your business goals for 2019?
Mr. White: Building more sites, starting new lines, improving our content even more, producing more and more, and offering our customers and fans the best possible content we can. We have lots of innovative projects on the back burner. Our brains are always thinking of new ways to improve the business.
Because we focus on performers mainly, we have become innovators in an industry that’s constantly changing and evolving. It makes me happy to see performers becoming more independent. We’ve helped thousands of talented performers and they return the favor. We know they’re the key to our success. Another big part of our success are our fans and members—we appreciate their support and 2019 is going to be an amazing year. Follow us on
Jessica Jaymes: I’m going to continue working with all the major adult companies, for sure. The industry has changed so much over the years at an extremely expedited pace. When I first started, there was no such thing as social media or piracy. We could only see or be seen by the paparazzi that would be hanging out in front of nightclubs or studios. Now, social media apps are what keep us relevant, and that’s a full-time job!
Follow Spizoo on Twitter and Instagram at @SpizooNetwork.
Follow Jessica Jaymes on IG at @TheOfficialJessicaJaymes and Twitter at @JessicaJaymes.
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