<![CDATA[Hard on Business]]>The business podcast for the adult and sexual wellness industry. Host Johannes sits down with the founders, creators, and operators actually building in the space. Real conversations about what it takes to start, run, and scale a business in an industry everyone uses but nobody wants to work with. Payments, growth, platforms, the wins and the shutdowns. No judgement, no fluff, just straight talk from people who've done it.

]]>fastopayments.comRiverside.fm (https://riverside.com)Thu, 15 Oct 2026 09:49:38 GMTThu, 09 Jul 2026 15:06:47 GMT60Johannes from FastoPayments<p>The business podcast for the adult and sexual wellness industry. Host Johannes sits down with the founders, creators, and operators actually building in the space. Real conversations about what it takes to start, run, and scale a business in an industry everyone uses but nobody wants to work with. Payments, growth, platforms, the wins and the shutdowns. No judgement, no fluff, just straight talk from people who've done it.</p>episodicJohannes from FastoPaymentsjohannes@payfasto.comno<![CDATA[Stripping Away the Shame with Bethany Burgoyne]]>In this episode of Hard on Business, Bethany Burgoyne shares how a journalist covering intimacy and sexuality became the founder of Sassy Talent, an agency representing the creators and brands the mainstream overlooks. She talks about life as a bearded woman in front of the camera, the censorship that turns every post into a creative puzzle, and why owning your audience matters more than any follower count.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Bethany and Sassy Talent

01:06 From Journalism to Body Hair Representation

03:44 Landing the First Big Client at a Conference

05:14 One Blog, Two Goals, Ten Years Later

06:26 What Journalism Teaches You About Managing Talent

09:16 Striptease as a Way to Strip Away Shame

12:15 Your Openness Is Your Superpower

15:25 Why Media Should Stop Using Sex Lives to Shame People

16:08 The Daily Grind of Working Around Censorship

18:50 Only Working With Talent Who Have a Mission

19:44 When a Platform Deletes the Whole Business

22:08 Where's the Newsletter? Owning Your Audience

23:26 Appeals, Paid Fixers and Getting Accounts Back

25:50 Building a Marketing Mix Through Collaboration

29:00 Comedy as a Way Through the Algorithm

33:03 Why Face-to-Face Beats Cold Email

36:31 Frozen Accounts and the Banking Problem

39:21 Reframing the Language to Survive Moderation

42:05 Advice: Community Is Everything

The Sassy Show, Bethany's podcast mentioned in the episode:
https://www.thesassyshow.com

Find Bethany on social:

Follow your host Johannes:

]]>5f72aef4-69ba-437f-8e21-b2c42f06abfdTue, 06 Oct 2026 21:04:16 GMT<p>In this episode of Hard on Business, Bethany Burgoyne shares how a journalist covering intimacy and sexuality became the founder of Sassy Talent, an agency representing the creators and brands the mainstream overlooks. She talks about life as a bearded woman in front of the camera, the censorship that turns every post into a creative puzzle, and why owning your audience matters more than any follower count.</p><p>Chapters</p><p>00:00 Introduction to Bethany and Sassy Talent</p><p>01:06 From Journalism to Body Hair Representation</p><p>03:44 Landing the First Big Client at a Conference</p><p>05:14 One Blog, Two Goals, Ten Years Later</p><p>06:26 What Journalism Teaches You About Managing Talent</p><p>09:16 Striptease as a Way to Strip Away Shame</p><p>12:15 Your Openness Is Your Superpower</p><p>15:25 Why Media Should Stop Using Sex Lives to Shame People</p><p>16:08 The Daily Grind of Working Around Censorship</p><p>18:50 Only Working With Talent Who Have a Mission</p><p>19:44 When a Platform Deletes the Whole Business</p><p>22:08 Where's the Newsletter? Owning Your Audience</p><p>23:26 Appeals, Paid Fixers and Getting Accounts Back</p><p>25:50 Building a Marketing Mix Through Collaboration</p><p>29:00 Comedy as a Way Through the Algorithm</p><p>33:03 Why Face-to-Face Beats Cold Email</p><p>36:31 Frozen Accounts and the Banking Problem</p><p>39:21 Reframing the Language to Survive Moderation</p><p>42:05 Advice: Community Is Everything</p><p>The Sassy Show, Bethany's podcast mentioned in the episode:<br /><a href="https://www.thesassyshow.com" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">https://www.thesassyshow.com</a></p><p>Find Bethany on social:</p><ul><li>Instagram - <a href="https://www.instagram.com/bxsassy2" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">https://www.instagram.com/bxsassy2</a></li><li>Sassy talent - <a href="https://www.instagram.com/sassy_talent/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">https://www.instagram.com/sassy_talent/</a></li><li>The Sassy Show on Instagram - <a href="https://www.instagram.com/_thesassyshow" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">https://www.instagram.com/_thesassyshow</a></li></ul><p>Follow your host Johannes:</p><ul><li>LinkedIn - <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/johannes-kanter" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">https://www.linkedin.com/in/johannes-kanter</a></li><li>Instagram - <a href="https://www.instagram.com/johanneskanter" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">https://www.instagram.com/johanneskanter</a></li><li>FastoPayments - <a href="https://fastopayments.com" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">https://fastopayments.com</a></li></ul>no00:44:03Stripping Away the Shame with Bethany Burgoynefull<![CDATA[Too Much for One Side, Not Enough for the Other with Kate Batchelor]]>In this episode of Hard on Business, Kate Batchelor shares how a registered nurse ended up buying a pole studio, stripping in her thirties and founding House of Gaia, discussing the whiplash of selling that studio to go online, the judgement that comes from both sides of the industry, and why visibility, not failure, is the thing that actually holds founders back.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Kate and House of Gaia

01:25 Blowing Up Her Life and Buying a Pole Studio

02:16 Selling the Studio and Moving the Business Online

04:16 Twenty Years of Curiosity, Shame and Coming to Terms With It

07:14 Does Lived Experience Make You a Better Teacher

11:16 Beginner's Mind and Why She Keeps Taking Classes

13:14 When Family and Old Friends Get Confronted

17:28 Too Sex Workery, Not Sex Workery Enough

20:28 What It Takes for a Partner to Be on Board

23:00 Venues That Ghost You and Printers Who Raise an Eyebrow

24:50 Shadow Banning: 100 DMs, 20 Percent Delivered

26:37 Where Clients Actually Come From Now

29:54 The Emotional Cycle of a Launch

34:05 Twelve Reps, Not One Failure

35:18 Visibility Is the Real Bottleneck

37:41 Advice: Find a Mentor and Start Before You Feel Ready

Find Kate on social:

Follow your host Johannes:

]]>c723b89c-05a3-4b52-a1b2-ad9bc380eb95Fri, 18 Sep 2026 12:00:00 GMT<p>In this episode of Hard on Business, Kate Batchelor shares how a registered nurse ended up buying a pole studio, stripping in her thirties and founding House of Gaia, discussing the whiplash of selling that studio to go online, the judgement that comes from both sides of the industry, and why visibility, not failure, is the thing that actually holds founders back.</p><p></p><p><b>Chapters</b></p><p>00:00 Introduction to Kate and House of Gaia</p><p>01:25 Blowing Up Her Life and Buying a Pole Studio</p><p>02:16 Selling the Studio and Moving the Business Online</p><p>04:16 Twenty Years of Curiosity, Shame and Coming to Terms With It</p><p>07:14 Does Lived Experience Make You a Better Teacher</p><p>11:16 Beginner's Mind and Why She Keeps Taking Classes</p><p>13:14 When Family and Old Friends Get Confronted</p><p>17:28 Too Sex Workery, Not Sex Workery Enough</p><p>20:28 What It Takes for a Partner to Be on Board</p><p>23:00 Venues That Ghost You and Printers Who Raise an Eyebrow</p><p>24:50 Shadow Banning: 100 DMs, 20 Percent Delivered</p><p>26:37 Where Clients Actually Come From Now</p><p>29:54 The Emotional Cycle of a Launch</p><p>34:05 Twelve Reps, Not One Failure</p><p>35:18 Visibility Is the Real Bottleneck</p><p>37:41 Advice: Find a Mentor and Start Before You Feel Ready</p><p></p><p>Find Kate on social:</p><ul><li>Website - <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://houseofgaia.au" target="_blank">https://houseofgaia.au</a></li><li>Instagram - <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.instagram.com/gaia_kate/" target="_blank">https://www.instagram.com/gaia_kate/</a><p></p></li></ul><p>Follow your host Johannes:</p><ul><li>LinkedIn - <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/johannes-kanter" target="_blank">https://www.linkedin.com/in/johannes-kanter</a></li><li>Instagram - <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.instagram.com/johanneskanter" target="_blank">https://www.instagram.com/johanneskanter</a></li><li>FastoPayments - <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://fastopayments.com" target="_blank">https://fastopayments.com</a></li></ul>no00:39:58Too Much for One Side, Not Enough for the Other with Kate Batchelorfull<![CDATA[Building a Premium Adult Brand in a Post-Communist Market with Borislav Donchev]]>In this episode of Hard on Business, Borislav Donchev shares how he built Cleopatra into one of Bulgaria's leading premium adult brands from three physical stores in Sofia, discussing the bank rejections that nearly stopped him online, the supplier who cut him off overnight, and why he learned SEO himself because he could not afford to pay anyone else to do it.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Borislav, Cleopatra and MAX Digital

02:09 Opening an Adult Store in Bulgaria on a Joke

04:10 Rejected by Every Bank in the Country

06:59 How a Competitor Solved the Payments Problem

09:25 Two Kinds of Adult Shop and Who the Real Competition Is

11:11 The Supplier Who Cut Him Off Overnight

13:38 Seventy Hours of Cold Outreach to Find New Distributors

17:39 You Cannot Be Fully Independent, So Know the People

18:54 How to Actually Work a Trade Show

22:29 Moving Toward Wellness and Education

26:00 The Hardest Year: Currency Switch, Inflation and Stress

29:57 What Adult SEO Teaches That Normal SEO Never Will

35:20 AI Models Are Just New Search Engines

39:42 Advice for Founders Starting Out in the Industry

Find Borislav on social:

Follow your host Johannes:

]]>5ca46458-26c0-4d31-ad10-37f891a6f2c6Fri, 14 Aug 2026 11:02:12 GMT<p>In this episode of Hard on Business, Borislav Donchev shares how he built Cleopatra into one of Bulgaria's leading premium adult brands from three physical stores in Sofia, discussing the bank rejections that nearly stopped him online, the supplier who cut him off overnight, and why he learned SEO himself because he could not afford to pay anyone else to do it.</p><p></p><p>Chapters</p><p>00:00 Introduction to Borislav, Cleopatra and MAX Digital</p><p>02:09 Opening an Adult Store in Bulgaria on a Joke</p><p>04:10 Rejected by Every Bank in the Country</p><p>06:59 How a Competitor Solved the Payments Problem</p><p>09:25 Two Kinds of Adult Shop and Who the Real Competition Is</p><p>11:11 The Supplier Who Cut Him Off Overnight</p><p>13:38 Seventy Hours of Cold Outreach to Find New Distributors</p><p>17:39 You Cannot Be Fully Independent, So Know the People</p><p>18:54 How to Actually Work a Trade Show</p><p>22:29 Moving Toward Wellness and Education</p><p>26:00 The Hardest Year: Currency Switch, Inflation and Stress</p><p>29:57 What Adult SEO Teaches That Normal SEO Never Will</p><p>35:20 AI Models Are Just New Search Engines</p><p>39:42 Advice for Founders Starting Out in the Industry</p><p></p><p>Find Borislav on social:</p><ul><li>LinkedIn - <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://bg.linkedin.com/in/borislav-donchev" target="_blank">https://bg.linkedin.com/in/borislav-donchev</a></li><li>Personal Website - <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://donchev.bg" target="_blank">https://donchev.bg</a></li><li>MAX Digital - <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://maxdigital.bg" target="_blank">https://maxdigital.bg</a></li><li>Cleopatra - <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://cleopatrabg.com" target="_blank">https://cleopatrabg.com</a></li></ul><p></p><p>Follow your host Johannes:</p><ul><li>LinkedIn - <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/johannes-kanter" target="_blank">https://www.linkedin.com/in/johannes-kanter</a></li><li>Instagram - <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.instagram.com/johanneskanter" target="_blank">https://www.instagram.com/johanneskanter</a></li><li>FastoPayments - <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://fastopayments.com" target="_blank">https://fastopayments.com</a></li></ul>no00:43:39Building a Premium Adult Brand in a Post-Communist Market with Borislav Donchevfull<![CDATA[Shadow Banned: Building a Business the Platforms Keep Deleting with Amari Leigh]]>In this episode of Hard on Business, Amari Leigh shares how she accidentally built a sex-positive virtual assistant and social media agency that now supports 128+ clients across 17 countries, discussing shadow banning and platform censorship, the mistakes she made in her first year of business, and why diversifying beyond social media is survival rather than strategy.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Amari and Admin by Amari

02:20 Who Hires a Sex-Positive Agency

04:39 From Sociology Student to Accidental Agency Owner

09:02 The Hardest Parts of Running the Business

11:02 Early Mistakes: Contracts, Payment and Vetting

14:55 Shadow Banning Explained and What It Costs

19:30 Which Platforms Censor the Hardest

21:49 What Adult Industry Founders Are Really Like

23:15 Why Industry Knowledge Beats Generic Marketing

27:54 How Amari Actually Gets Clients

30:08 Growth Plans Beyond Social Media

31:35 Advice for Newcomers in the Adult Industry

Amari's censorship guidebook and webinar, mentioned in the episode:
https://www.adminbyamariagency.com/for-sexual-wellness-professionals/p/shadow-banning-guide-84bsp

https://www.adminbyamariagency.com/for-sexual-wellness-professionals/p/webinar-on-combatting-shadowbanning-and-censorship-in-the-womens-and-sexual-health-sector

Find Amari on social:

Follow your host Johannes:

]]>1129f062-8886-488a-b308-8b65a1a848b4Tue, 04 Aug 2026 14:59:03 GMT<p>In this episode of Hard on Business, Amari Leigh shares how she accidentally built a sex-positive virtual assistant and social media agency that now supports 128+ clients across 17 countries, discussing shadow banning and platform censorship, the mistakes she made in her first year of business, and why diversifying beyond social media is survival rather than strategy.</p><p>Chapters</p><p>00:00 Introduction to Amari and Admin by Amari</p><p>02:20 Who Hires a Sex-Positive Agency</p><p>04:39 From Sociology Student to Accidental Agency Owner</p><p>09:02 The Hardest Parts of Running the Business</p><p>11:02 Early Mistakes: Contracts, Payment and Vetting</p><p>14:55 Shadow Banning Explained and What It Costs</p><p>19:30 Which Platforms Censor the Hardest</p><p>21:49 What Adult Industry Founders Are Really Like</p><p>23:15 Why Industry Knowledge Beats Generic Marketing</p><p>27:54 How Amari Actually Gets Clients</p><p>30:08 Growth Plans Beyond Social Media</p><p>31:35 Advice for Newcomers in the Adult Industry</p><p></p><p>Amari's censorship guidebook and webinar, mentioned in the episode:<br /><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.adminbyamariagency.com/for-sexual-wellness-professionals/p/shadow-banning-guide-84bsp" target="_blank"><b>https://www.adminbyamariagency.com/for-sexual-wellness-professionals/p/shadow-banning-guide-84bsp</b></a><br /></p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.adminbyamariagency.com/for-sexual-wellness-professionals/p/webinar-on-combatting-shadowbanning-and-censorship-in-the-womens-and-sexual-health-sector" target="_blank"><b>https://www.adminbyamariagency.com/for-sexual-wellness-professionals/p/webinar-on-combatting-shadowbanning-and-censorship-in-the-womens-and-sexual-health-sector</b></a></p><p></p><p>Find Amari on social:</p><ul><li>LinkedIn - <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/amari-leigh-629b95197" target="_blank">https://www.linkedin.com/in/amari-leigh-629b95197</a></li><li>Instagram - <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.instagram.com/adminbyamari.agency" target="_blank">https://www.instagram.com/adminbyamari.agency</a></li><li>Agency Website - <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.adminbyamariagency.com" target="_blank">https://www.adminbyamariagency.com</a></li><li>Sex Coaching by Amari - <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.sexcoachingbyamari.com" target="_blank">https://www.sexcoachingbyamari.com</a></li></ul><p></p><p>Follow your host Johannes:</p><ul><li>LinkedIn - <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/johannes-kanter" target="_blank">https://www.linkedin.com/in/johannes-kanter</a></li><li>Instagram - <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.instagram.com/johanneskanter" target="_blank">https://www.instagram.com/johanneskanter</a></li><li>FastoPayments - <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://fastopayments.com" target="_blank">https://fastopayments.com</a></li></ul>no00:35:39Shadow Banned: Building a Business the Platforms Keep Deleting with Amari Leighfull<![CDATA[The Art of Storytelling in the Adult Industry with Deidre Olsen]]>Welcome to the very first episode of Hard on Business. In this episode, Deidre Olson shares her journey from journalism to social media expert in the sexual wellness industry, discussing the challenges of content moderation, effective strategies for online engagement, and the importance of human storytelling in a digital age.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Sexual Wellness and Storytelling

02:52 Navigating Social Media Challenges in Adult Industry

06:00 Creating Viral Content: The Power of Trends

08:56 The Importance of Physical Retail in Sexual Wellness

11:51 The Role of Journalism in Shaping Brand Storytelling

14:42 Community Building in the Adult Industry

17:53 Advice for Newcomers in the Adult Industry

21:01 Future Aspirations and Closing Thoughts

Find Deidre on social:

Follow your host Johannes:

]]>0677c7b2-dfc4-498e-9b2b-7ed5e85b433dThu, 09 Jul 2026 20:31:55 GMT<p>Welcome to the very first episode of Hard on Business. In this episode, Deidre Olson shares her journey from journalism to social media expert in the sexual wellness industry, discussing the challenges of content moderation, effective strategies for online engagement, and the importance of human storytelling in a digital age.</p><p></p><p><b>Chapters</b></p><p>00:00 Introduction to Sexual Wellness and Storytelling</p><p>02:52 Navigating Social Media Challenges in Adult Industry</p><p>06:00 Creating Viral Content: The Power of Trends</p><p>08:56 The Importance of Physical Retail in Sexual Wellness</p><p>11:51 The Role of Journalism in Shaping Brand Storytelling</p><p>14:42 Community Building in the Adult Industry</p><p>17:53 Advice for Newcomers in the Adult Industry</p><p>21:01 Future Aspirations and Closing Thoughts</p><p></p><p><b>Find Deidre on social:</b></p><ul><li>LinkedIn - <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/deidreolson" target="_blank">https://www.linkedin.com/in/deidreolson</a></li><li>Instagram - <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.instagram.com/deidreolson" target="_blank">https://www.instagram.com/deidreolson</a></li><li>Personal Website - <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://deidreolson.com" target="_blank">https://deidreolson.com</a></li></ul><p></p><p><b>Follow your host Johannes:</b></p><ul><li>LinkedIn - <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/johannes-kanter/" target="_blank">https://www.linkedin.com/in/johannes-kanter</a></li><li>Instagram - <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.instagram.com/johanneskanter/" target="_blank">https://www.instagram.com/johanneskanter</a></li><li>FastoPayments - <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://fastopayments.com" target="_blank">https://fastopayments.com</a></li></ul><p></p>no00:32:301The Art of Storytelling in the Adult Industry with Deidre Olsenfull