Adult Site Broker Talk Episode 1 with Anthony Rivera of AJ Studios

Adult Site Broker Talk Episode 1.mp3

[00:00:08] This is Bruce Friedman of Adult Site Broker and welcome to Adult Site Broker Talk, where every week we interview one of the movers and shakers of the adult industry and discuss what's going on in our business. Plus, we give you a tip on buying and selling websites. This week, we'll be talking to Anthony Rivera of AJ Studios and the LAL Expo. First of all, today, let's cover some of the news going on in our industry. An alliance between Pineapple Support and Cam4 studio, the webcam labs, has connected over 200 performers in Columbia and other South American countries with free and low cost mental health services. The two groups made the announcement last week in a joint statement. The main goal is to promote positivity by talking about the problems that people can have in this type of industry. The offices in the city of Cali, currently due to the worldwide pandemic, psychological support is being provided virtually via Skype and WhatsApp, and in this way they're able to mitigate the anxiety caused by covid-19. You'll be hearing more about the webcam lab when Webcam Lab and AJ Studios owner Anthony Rivera is interviewed later in the UK. Last week, the Cambridge Union, a 200 and five year old debating society connected to the UK's Cambridge University, hosted a debate concerning online pornography. The debate was scheduled months ago to occur live in Cambridge, but was relocated to Zoom due to covid-19 related travel and social distancing protocols. Six debaters presented time speeches, three against online pornography and three in favor.

[00:01:52] The moderator allowed no questions or interaction between the debaters. The debate seemed from the beginning, tilted in favor of the anti porn position having been named this house regret's online pornography promoted by the Cambridge Union with a photograph photograph linking porn with rape and giving the opening statement to a representative of religiously motivated anti porn lobby NCOIC, formerly known as Morality and Media. You can find the entire video of the debate on dotcom. Now let's feature our Property of the Week that's for sale at Adult Site Broker. We're selling a rapidly growing bukkake Paysite. The site started in 2015. This is a very rare amateur bukkake site that's based in the U.S. The content features local, amateur and never before seen girls doing gangbangs and bowcock. There is no other site out quite like it. It's very unique and the style is in high demand. They've been able to be quite successful without much marketing, which leaves a tremendous opportunity for a new company to come in and build the site up even further. The sale also includes their clip store. Their retention rate is outstanding and the site as many local loyal members. This is a tremendous opportunity for either an existing company or a new one trying to break into this industry. The site has been reduced in price to only one hundred and fifty eight thousand dollars due to the owner looking for a quick sale and a move into a mainstream project. Now time for this week's interview. Today on Adult Site Broker Talk.

[00:03:37] I'm speaking to Anthony Rivera, the owner of AJ Studios and also the L.A. Expo, also known as the Latin American Adult Business Expo. Anthony, thanks for being with us today on Adult Site Broker Talk.

[00:03:51] No, thanks. Thanks for inviting me. Great to be part of this project.

[00:03:56] No problem. Well, I'm going to start out with a bit about the L.A. L.A. Expo from your website. LML expose the biggest adult industry event in Latin America and one of the largest adult events worldwide.

[00:04:12] Their main goal is to provide a space for their attendees and sponsors to create business relationships, get training, promote their brand and grow hand in hand, generate a position in the market. L'Oeil Expo has seminars, panels, activities and parties. Also, you can meet sponsors in their booths. Plus they have the L'Oeil Expo Awards, which are held on the last day of the event. Each year, L'Oeil Expo attracts a growing international and Latin American base of approximately fifteen hundred business professionals from a wide range of companies, including billing mobile ad networks, Paysite programs, designers, software payment providers, marketing, photography, talent agencies.

[00:04:58] Let me get my breath here, CEO, video productions, apps programing and more so Anthony. Tell us more about obviously, you had your event in February. Tell us how that went.

[00:05:13] No, actually, it was it was a great success. We had a record attendance this year. We passed that. Thirty eight hundred attendees. So that's three thousand eight hundred attendees.

[00:05:25] So it was really good. We were very fortunate at the dates because it was right before all this coronavirus situation, hyper hyped up media. And I started getting worse. So we had to deal with that situation so that the show went on really smooth. We had a really good Cherno.

[00:05:45] We had also about over 80 sponsors. So all together was it was a great success show.

[00:05:52] Also, this was the first year that we actually had the local government support the show and they actually did the opening speech for the event.

[00:06:04] So I'm clapping because because the year I went, you know, what happened at those different times we've been doing the last three Detroit three years and Calli.

[00:06:17] Right. So the local government actually it's a lot more open and they understand more the business that our industry brings to the country and all the positive aspects that we that we provide to the country. So that was it was a pretty good show. And we're looking forward for next year again in February, hopefully, if the situation's still overcome, this whole pandemic situation.

[00:06:46] Oh, we can only hope so. How is everything in Colombia right now?

[00:06:50] Well, I mean, I think good I mean, compared to other countries, I think the president was smart, right. About the middle of March.

[00:07:02] He declare you declare basically a lockdown for the whole country. So we've been on lockdown for nine weeks. So that's how, you know, control more of the spread of the disease pandemic over here in Columbia.

[00:07:20] And we're about last time I checked, we're like about a thousand cases, but we already have like three thousand recoveries. So, I mean, I would like to say positive compared to other countries, but it has been difficult, of course, because it's been nine weeks, basically, that the country has been locked down.

[00:07:41] So a lot of industries are suffering. A lot of people are suffering because, I mean, they live on this is this is not a rich country.

[00:07:51] So a lot of people live on the day of day to day part of me. So it's been hard for a lot of families, a lot of the population and a lot of the companies. In terms of health, I think we have managed to at least control from it from from growing as we've seen in other countries.

[00:08:13] So let's let's talk about you. How did you get started in this crazy business?

[00:08:20] Well, it's kind of an interesting story.

[00:08:24] So before I got into the industry, I was into travel and consulting business. Initially, we owned a marriage agency.

[00:08:33] I'm not sure you're familiar with what was a marriage agency that was kind of the the previous days of the dating site. So basically, it was kind of a dating site business model for like a matchmaking type of thing, yet correctly.

[00:08:49] So we had a marriage agency where we were bringing over most of the Americans. That was most of the marketing. And actually a partner, our partner was in Texas.

[00:08:59] So we would all go marketing that us and the tours we like with the tours, we're moving guys over to Colombia, Panama and Peru.

[00:09:08] And we would advance where we would do basically that, like a matchmaking between the client house and local woman interested in meeting foreigners for marriage for Syria's reasons.

[00:09:22] So that was our that's what we did for a couple of years. So since that was our main business, we had a lot of our customers that we would do it maybe like two tours a year in Colombia and about one hundred clients every tour and from every tour. We would, of course, have a lot of those clients. They would just keep coming to Colombia throughout the year and they needed different types of services. So we started up a boutique or upscale bed and breakfast in Colombia. I was called Castle.

[00:09:52] It was actually kind of very popular down in travel forums and back in the day. And it was basically a bed and breakfast. We offered accommodation services besides accommodation.

[00:10:03] We also offered them a wide range of. Services such as private interpreters, bilingual car service, private investigators consulting on purchase a real estate investment opportunities in Colombia. So one of our clients from that business came to Colombia with a project to set up a camp studio.

[00:10:24] And back then, we had no idea what was what was studio about and what was this whole thing about the camera industry.

[00:10:32] So he just hired us to help him get started and hire hire as a one year management support contract. That's basically how we came and how I came in contact with the industry and specifically with the camera industry.

[00:10:48] So tell us about Aju Studios. I know you guys are the biggest in Colombia, right yet.

[00:10:58] How many models are in your company?

[00:11:03] So major studios, we we started in two thousand nine officially, we started with five rooms studio, so we were a very small operation. But currently we have now we have got to be nine nine direct studios, meaning those are what I mean, Direct Studios, a studio that we own and have full control.

[00:11:22] That's all together over one hundred rooms and over two hundred and fifty studio models. But besides this, we also have a large group of satellite models. When we call satellite models, we need models that work from their homes, but they are they are affiliated to our company. So we provide different types of guidance and support model where about four hundred million models. And then finally, our one of our business, our biggest business model right now, it's it's the network of affiliate studios, which is it's similar to our franchise business model. It's not specifically a franchise, but similar. We currently have over three hundred affiliates studio, so we provide them also a full range of support and training services.

[00:12:08] And so all together speaking, we count everything. Our studios, our satellites and our affiliate studios. We're already close to the three thousand models altogether. Wow.

[00:12:21] And that's insane.

[00:12:25] What would you say is the biggest difference between Columbiana studio and the studio in other parts of the.

[00:12:36] Well, I will look at it more as a country.

[00:12:40] I mean, when when it comes down to models, you know, the beauty of the Colombian woman is it makes perfect business in the country. So, I mean, nobody's a secret for foreign men have this fascination for Latin woman. So that's that's a really good aspect in Colombia. It's also a country with a lot of socio economic difficulty. Level has high levels of corruption and poverty. So many young women see a webcam commodity, the opportunity to improve their quality of life, pay for college, help their families have financial independence.

[00:13:14] So in addition to this, I mean, the currency exchange also makes a webcam business very attractive for both studios and models. So that's something I would say some of the key components, the way the camera industry is so big in Colombia compared to maybe other parts of the world.

[00:13:33] So, Tomas, tell us about the Web cam.

[00:13:38] I've heard about it, but what's it all about?

[00:13:43] So since we've been growing so big with our Ophelia Studios network, we decided to do a brand separation and we have our studios brand where we we manage everything that has to do with where our own direct studios and our our satellite models. So basically, Studios is our model brand. And then we created a new brand called a Webcam Lab, where we wanted to focus it more on the on the affiliate studios aspect and the service aspect. So the webcam lab is is one of our my latest project is basically I did a complete separation as far as staff offices.

[00:14:27] So for the webcam lab specifically, we built twenty four thousand square feet in total locations in Bogotá, managing Pineta and Koti. So four major cities in Colombia. And that's where we have the headquarters for the webcam lab, which basically it's a studio support of training services center on one side.

[00:14:48] That's for the for the local market and then international site we have we structure it as a first BPO and coworking service center for the adult industry. So basically each location has a reception, a waiting room, cafeteria conference, meeting room for 50 people.

[00:15:06] We have a seminar so long. Four hundred and fifty two hundred people. We have a full photography and video studio. So we have tech staff, cleaning staff, photo and video staff.

[00:15:17] So all this infrastructure and where we provide different services to our network of affiliate studios on one side and then for some of our international clients. So basically the main objective that I have with the webcam lab is to create spaces for the proper attention and service of webcam studios in Columbia and second, to generate coworking and BPO spaces for international companies. So we are currently assisting some companies interested in penetrating the Latin American market with services like staffing, setting up Spanish or bilingual support teams or call centers, payment management for Colombia, marketing campaigns, training workshops, legal and accounting services, among others. And so it's yeah, it's a pretty big project. That's one of my biggest projects. I have a pretty good clients like top industry companies right now are clients of the projects such as dams, camp, old PornHub and Central and the traffic just to name a few.

[00:16:21] So now let's talk about Expo.

[00:16:25] When did you get the show started and why did you decide to do it?

[00:16:30] Well, school was a project we started in 2014, and it was basically like our first year was a test. So the 2014 event this year was basically a local gathering for studios and models.

[00:16:44] And this first edition, we had five hundred forty five attendees, so we saw a lot of potential. And then from that, from ten thousand fifteen, we basically launched as a full trade show. And right now we're going to the lake. We're going to our eighth edition next year. The success of the success of the Expo has grown more than I can help for all the top brands of the top companies support and sponsor it.

[00:17:10] And initially, we created a focus just for the cab industry because that's that's the business, my main business, and that's the biggest industry we find in Colombia.

[00:17:21] So initially it was created as a platform for studios, models and professionals in the industry to collaborate and do business and then see to grow beyond our expectation. And I saw that the event could and has expanded outside of camps since five years ago. We we basically started welcoming companies, professionals from all verticals of the adult industry. And I mean, nowadays that show it's a it's a it's a it's a show for the adult industry. Any niche still. We have a lot of I would say our biggest strength is Kamps, because, again, that's that's the biggest market here in Colombia. We're Romanian Colombia, the biggest camp up so far. But we have different types of sponsors, different types of attendees. And we have a seminar for all different types of topics. So and that's the I would say, and the networking and educational side. But we also have we're very famous for all of our exciting excursions or parties that should not be missed.

[00:18:26] Absolutely. So your next the twenty fifth through the twenty this month and with the virtual.

[00:18:36] So tell us about the Virtual Expo.

[00:18:42] Yeah, well, so are Club, which is our main show. We we were going to launch this year our first USA Vision, but there had to be postponed.

[00:18:53] And then so besides our Expo Colombia and USA, we also do what we call EXPL workshops, which are for like many smaller events that we do locally in Colombia throughout the year and different cities. And the reason we do this is because the local market likes to learn and be updated and we using topics constantly and not have to wait a year for the main event also for the sponsors, because they so they can have a presence and interaction with the Colombian market more frequently. So we do this this edition of local expo workshops. But again, since this coronavirus situation, we had our first workshop schedule for this for me this month. And since that's not possible, we decided to go ahead with Virtual Edition so we can still offer the audience and the sponsors an opportunity to to do some business and learn. So we're we're doing the export of our tradition and we're focusing on the event for the focus for the Latin American market. So on the schedule and presentations will be in Spanish. The event will take place at twenty five to twenty nine. So basically some on Friday. And we're we're doing the schedule three hours per day so people don't get bored sitting on a computer many hours.

[00:20:12] So we are keeping it to three hours per day. It would take place since we're focusing on the Latin American market is taking place between 5:00 pm and eight pm Colombian time. And it's going to be mainly, mainly an educational event. So we are not going to do the same style where everyone wants to turn on the cam and mingle around, which is which is doing a presentation. We're going to be speaker broadcast only and a chat box. And we were doing something separate for like networking. And one are what are the days? Basically, it's we're focusing more on the educational aspect. Everyone sign up. We'll get an email and SMS notification. Once we start every presentation, the audience will be mainly we're going is going to be mainly models studios. So we're focusing the schedule on cam topics. And so far it's been the feedback has been very has been very great. People are very hungry for knowledge and connecting with the community in some way doing this isolated time. So, yeah, we're estimating an online audience of six hundred thousand people on average for a week now.

[00:21:26] How would you describe the campus culture in Colombia? What about Colombia? Makes it perfect for.

[00:21:36] Ok, so I will say again, like what we were talking before, and there's a few components, they are very, very important that makes this industry very, very, very attractive. Like I mentioned before, I mentioned the beauty of the Colombian woman. I mentioned the socio economic situation to the currency exchange. But the camel industry, it's becoming more and more competitive. So models and studios need to be more creative to offer unique types of shows and experiences to the members. I mean, to the days of successful amateur models, I would say will soon be gone. And the market now demands professional models who are willing to invest more time and more money to be in the upfront competition. So this sex component in camming, I would say it's losing importance and components like friendship, social and industry interaction and entertainment is becoming the main focus is to catch the big waves on camp. So my models basically need to engage members by sparkling new areas of interest and interaction by example. We see nowadays our models coming up with games, musical magical performances. So something like this. And it's something that will help all these aspects. It will be like we are seeing right now development of new technologies and product innovations.

[00:23:01] They can be used in the live camerino, such as we've seen like a lot of VR, interactive sex toys, smart accessories, clothing, cameras. So this is coming into place and it's making the industry more professional so that Colombia it's getting its in that and it's in the trend. And we're seeing the industry becoming more and more professional every day, and that's also helping the country stay in the leadership.

[00:23:28] Where why now are you seeing issues of roadblocks in the Colombian space these days?

[00:23:39] Well, I would say what are the main challenges we have here is the absence of legislation that regulates the activities of our industry.

[00:23:48] So this is kind of leaves in limbo those who are part of it and in turn leave the country, I would say, without receiving corresponding taxes.

[00:23:58] So the result of our exercise, the lack of regulation not only affects the Colombian government, but it also puts an obvious advantage. A lot of the men and women who work, who work daily and who do not have the protection and benefits they enjoy by a common employee as medical benefits, gentrification's to applying for a loan, financial institutions, etc..

[00:24:19] So in view, Colombia is mostly a moralistic society, which many in many cases they associate the webcam business with illegal activities. One, whatever the projects that we started a few years ago, as well as we call it, the Colombian Association of Commerce for Adults. And basically the mission of that we're doing is seeking better opportunities for the companies. And the industry association has been developing some, I would say some lobbying and some relationship with the government where we're trying to come up with a common regulation for the industry that is beneficial for us and beneficial for the government. So basically, at the end of the day, where we're where we aim for sustainable development in and in a good business environment to improve the the competitiveness of our company, our companies, of our industry. So that's I would say that's one of the major roadblocks, but it's also.

[00:25:27] Taking it upon yourself to do that.

[00:25:29] Well, it's not just us, I mean, we were one of the leaders of the project, the association, we have over 100 studios that are part of it and about one and hundred. We have one of the largest groups supporting the project.

[00:25:48] So it's a great project. How has the Colombian market in the last couple of years?

[00:25:56] Well, Colombia started to many years ago.

[00:26:00] It was first very amateur of low quality, but that was the beginning.

[00:26:04] Did they basically allow the industry to develop and start investing more in infrastructure, technology, human talent? I matter of fact, of the place in the country in the spotlight, as I was mentioning before, is that the Colombian models were very different than the stereotype there represented the Romanians American models.

[00:26:27] On one hand, the typical wurm of Latinos, and on the other is the access and the curvilinear and body, which were very attractive for you. So this kind of start allowing the growth and expansion of the industry. Right now, we're we're estimating we estimate to date about thirty thousand people are dedicated or working in the industry.

[00:26:51] So the growth of the webcam that's just in Colombia is just in Colombia.

[00:26:58] So that's the growth of the webcam industry will continue for many years. But Colombia remains like when we talk in terms of revenue.

[00:27:07] The two leaders are remaining Colombia, but Colombia remains behind Romania in terms of revenue. And I would say the road to match it would depend on the ability for the models to overcome the obstacles of the language barrier. That's one of the most obstacles we find with Colombian woman. It's very different in Europe where a lot of it's very common for to English as a second language or even three or four languages. So I would say overcoming this Colombian can girls and in the market in general could become the world leader.

[00:27:42] Now, are you doing anything in your company to talk about or offering English lessons or anything like that?

[00:27:50] Yes, I mean, we do offer language lessons, but it's very difficult because I would say we have different sessions or models for the English classes and we'll say we'll start a first class way to 50 models then in two weeks, maybe down to 30 models.

[00:28:12] And so they're they're very hard for them to to be to give the importance that they have to to this.

[00:28:21] And so the way we overcome this in our case, we still give them lessons and we operate. But they the way we found our solution is we have bilingual monitors, our broadcasting system. So in our in our case, where every four every five models, there's a dedicated person, we call them to monitor our broadcast assistant who works with those five models all the time while they're on, why they're online and when they're offline and they become like a personal assistant. And those bilingual, those systems are bilingual. So they're kind of gave a lot of support. When the models don't understand something in the chat rooms or have some difficulty, they're there on site. They're watching everything and they're helping the girls. They're not translating because a lot of people think they they're the ones typing. They are helping them with the language, the English aspect. And that has worked better for us in trying to get all the models to actually put the dedication and learn the language.

[00:29:23] I would say more the motivation, I guess I hate to say this with models or what is the most motivating people.

[00:29:36] And and it's very hard to I don't know.

[00:29:42] So what are your tips to other Columbia studios that want to succeed in this industry?

[00:29:51] I will a few I mean, Adjaye studios, I would say we have a win win philosophy and I think this one, the number one reason that we have so many successes and become the largest webcam company in South America, we believe that everyone in the day to day operations are valuable for the success of the business.

[00:30:11] So and we take care of our employees. There will be lawyer and take care of the business. So that's that's it sounds like common sense, but you will be surprised to find so many studios that don't give the proper importance to the employees and their human talent and their models.

[00:30:30] So that that's a very important business in general, my friend. Yes. What percentage of businesses really give a damn about their employees?

[00:30:41] And then other more specific tips?

[00:30:43] I would say can modeling it's I would say something like 60, 60 percent personality and 40 percent physical because basically we are in a relationship service. So charming and creative personalities are among the rest. I would say secondary because a lot of studios go on like they just want to focus on the nine and 10 models. But it turns out that the six and the sevens could be making more money than the nine and 10 because they have that more charming personality and have they are more disciplined. So they have to keep that in mind. I would say basically at the end of the day, it's invest, invest, investing based on your human tally, invest in your infrastructure. Right now we're in a very competitive market, as I mentioned before. So models are looking for studios that can offer them for their value, not just a room with a computer and a camera. So you got you got you must focus and training human talent and making sure they become more professional, making sure they can they can innovate where new types of shows, new types of rooms, new types of everything, new types of toys, new types of clothing. And so that was in a nutshell, basically just invest and invest because we buy a lot of studios that do not want to invest back into the business, into the studio. They just stay with the same rooms for years, the same computer, the same cameras that they want to give the models unless they can, and that those days are gone. Right now. You've got to really, really invest in the business to be to keep up and to be in the leadership.

[00:32:39] I think those are all good pieces of advice for any business that wants to succeed, my friend.

[00:32:46] Well well, Anthony, I'd like to thank you very much for being on Adult Site Broker Talk today, and I hope we'll be able to get you back on for future show.

[00:32:56] No problem. No, thank you for the invitation. I hope to see you.

[00:32:59] And maybe Colombia next year, I guess, because this year I hope you'll talk to my friend. All right. Thank you very much.

[00:33:09] Taking my prototyp today has to do with what to do to make your site more valuable for when you decide to sell it later. This will be a multipart series. First, make sure you're converting as much of your traffic as possible. Traffic's expensive, whether it's from search engines, review sites or affiliate traffic. You pay a lot for this traffic. So make sure that when someone lands on your site, you give them every opportunity possible to either spend money or do whatever it is you want your visitors to do. In the case of a pay site, make sure your billing options allow as many people as possible to buy have multiple ways to pay. In North America, most everyone has a credit card, but in other parts of the world, credit cards aren't used nearly as much. In Europe, for instance, credit card usage is low. So look for billing options that will match the areas where your traffic comes from in Europe and debit cards. You used a lot in Africa and other developing countries. Many people pay by mobile. Do your homework and find out how people pay in the regions. You get most of your traffic, it will make you more money. The worst thing you can do is get a visitor, have them want to buy.

[00:34:22] But since you don't have their preferred way to pay, they can't buy. So if you're looking for suggestions, feel free to get in touch with me via my website. Along with this is to improve the user experience. Make your site attractive and easy to navigate people of more options than ever these days. I can't tell you how many sites I go to, even some that are owned by large companies where the navigation isn't obvious to the user. You poke around the site for what seems like an eternity to do something that should be relatively easy. Keep it simple before you launch any changes to your site, ask your friends to go to the site and check it out. Unfortunately, designers and tech geeks don't think like us. You need real people to look at your site for you. The same kind of people will be visiting your site next. Make a good offer. If you're selling something and the offer isn't good, you won't make money. It's plain and simple as that. And if your offer is to contact you or to get more information, then make the offer attractive and easy to understand. If you're selling something, make buying easy, show them an easy way to buy and then leave. Help them by making suggestions on what to buy.

[00:35:37] Amazon.com is the best at this. They always have suggestions on what to buy based on your buying and browsing history. The use AAA to do this. There are engines available these days at a modest cost. Look into this if you can. Don't clutter up your site with unnecessary items, buttons and images. Keep it as simple as possible. The best and most successful sites are the simplest ones, the ones that lead you to take the action you'd like them to do. It's not that hard. Just remember, when you're putting together any site, try to think through the buying process like a human being. Whatever you do, don't turn over that process to your designer. Don't just say build me a site. What you'll get out the other end will not give you what it is you're looking for. Give them as much direction as possible and make it easy for them to build a site for you that makes your business succeed. We'll talk more about this next week. And next week, we'll be talking to Joey Gabeira of New Media Services. And that's it for this week's Adult Site Broker Talk. I'm once again like to thank my guest, Anthony Rivera. Talk to you again next week on Adult Site Broker Talk Abers Free.