We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Jamie Azar a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Jamie, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?
Breaking the Rules to Reclaim My Life—and My Pleasure
For as long as I can remember, I’ve had a deep love for learning. I come from a long line of educators—teaching was in my blood. So, it felt only natural that I’d end up in the classroom, English degree in hand (despite the warnings that I’d never find a “real” job with it). Teaching high school English, Creative Writing, and Journalism across the U.S., and even a year abroad in Costa Rica, felt like answering a calling.
But something shifted.
Thirteen years into my career, I found myself staring at a script instead of connecting with students. Passion was replaced with protocol. Creativity gave way to compliance. The public education system, already inequitable, felt more stifling than ever in a post-COVID world. Books were being banned. Black history was being erased. My role, once empowering, now felt like a prison.
I tried one more pivot—becoming a Literacy Coach—but my spark was still dimming. I had to ask myself: Is this really it? Is this what I’m meant to do for the rest of my life?
The answer came slowly, then all at once. I knew I still wanted to teach, coach, and uplift others—but on my own terms. I wanted to break free from the 9-to-5, reclaim my autonomy, and build something of my own. That desire led me to something totally unexpected: a certification program in Pleasure Psychology and Sexology.
The more I explored it, the more it made sense. I’ve always been passionate about psychology, authenticity, empowering others, sex, and sexuality. I realized I could build a life helping people heal shame, reclaim pleasure, and live fully expressed lives. I could educate in a way that felt liberating—for both myself and those I serve.
Leaving the security of a steady paycheck and familiar, predictable life to become a sex, relationship, and intimacy coach was one of the greatest risks I’ve ever taken. I left behind my identity, my safety net, and the certainty of a defined career path of 13 years. I stepped into the unknown—and into myself.
We’re not taught to bet on ourselves. We’re taught to stay safe, stay quiet, stay small. We’re conditioned to believe that struggle is noble, burnout is admirable, and passion exists outside of the “real” work we do- that we must “earn” our right to pleasure. But that narrative keeps us disconnected—from ourselves, from joy, from the lives we were meant to live.
Taking this risk taught me that rest and pleasure are not indulgences—they’re acts of resistance. That creativity is not a hobby—it’s a healing force. That success doesn’t have to cost you your soul.
Founding Erotic Expressions LLC and stepping into this new role has allowed me to support others in reclaiming their power, their bodies, and their desires. And while it was a risk to leave behind everything I knew, it’s led to a life that’s more aligned, more liberated, and more fulfilling than I ever imagined.
To anyone standing at the edge of a big leap, wondering if it’s worth the risk: you are. Betting on yourself isn’t easy—but it might just be the most rewarding thing you ever do. I give your permission.
Jamie, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
Erotic Expressions, LLC is my private coaching practice where individuals and partners come to liberate themselves from the prisons of shame, silence, and societal expectation — and reclaim their right to pleasure.
Rooted in non-judgment, confidentiality, and radical compassion, I provide a safe space for people to explore and redefine their relationships to sex, intimacy, and self-expression — on their own terms. My work centers on helping clients turn shame off and turn pleasure on, while navigating the complexities of trauma, desire, identity, and change.
I work with people from all walks of life and all relational constellations — monogamous, polyamorous, queer, straight, partnered or solo. Many of my clients come to me facing blocks around pleasure or intimacy tied to past sexual trauma, anxiety, low self-worth, or unresolved relational wounds. Others are in the midst of major transitions — breakups, divorces, career shifts — and seeking clarity, healing, confidence, and new beginnings.
Because of my background in education, I bring years of experience in differentiation — meaning each session is uniquely tailored to the individual. I curate resources, track progress through detailed narrative summaries, and offer steady, soul-deep support that’s rooted in empathy and accountability. I believe transformation happens not just in the session, but in the life you build between sessions — and I’m here for all of it.
Outside of private coaching, I lead monthly workshops, host book clubs, I’ve created a 30-day partners course called Awaken Intimacy, and I am the founder and host of RealTalk — a sex-positive relationship panel. I also publish monthly articles for both my personal blog and Los Angeles Sex Therapy (LAST), offering ongoing education and insight around sex, love, relationships, and pleasure.
What I’m most proud of is not just the change I help initiate — it’s the change my clients awaken and learn to see in themselves. When a client reclaims their voice and their pleasure, exits an unhealthy relationship, embraces vulnerability, or experiences great sex without shame — that’s the good stuff. That’s the win. Every small step toward self-trust, authenticity, and pleasure is a celebration, and it’s the deepest honor of my life to walk that path with them.
If you follow me on social media or step into my offerings, you’ll find more than content — you’ll find community. You’ll be met with sex-positive education, real conversation, and unwavering encouragement to live your most pleasure-centric, shame-free, fully authentic life.
Training and knowledge matter of course, but beyond that what do you think matters most in terms of succeeding in your field?
Beyond training and knowledge, creativity has been the most essential ingredient in my success as a coach. It’s the thread that weaves through everything I do — from designing client sessions to curating workshops, creating social media content, and building community.
Creativity makes the work fun, but more importantly, it makes the work real. It allows me to show up with empathy, imagination, and a willingness to connect in meaningful, deeply human ways. It reminds me that art — and healing — don’t have to be perfect. I don’t have to be perfect. The joy is in the process, in the experimentation, in the courageous sharing of something raw, honest, and wholly my own.
Creativity gives me permission — to take risks, to try again, to evolve. It encourages me to express freely, to speak truthfully, and in doing so, I invite others to do the same. It’s how I build trust, how I foster transformation, and how I keep this work alive and inspired.
To me, creativity is more than just aesthetic — it’s erotic, political, and revolutionary. It’s a catalyst for conversation, connection, and collective liberation.
Creativity has been my path to both pleasure and success. When I am aligned with my authentic creative expression, I’m not just doing work — I’m channeling joy. And that joy is magnetic. It draws in the people who resonate with the heart of what I do, and who are ready to unlock the power of their own transformation.
What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?
The most effective strategy for growing my clientele has been building genuine, meaningful relationships. Whether it’s through community engagement, free educational workshops, support groups, or simply connecting with people on social media, it always comes down to letting people know they matter — that I see them, and that I’m here when they’re ready to do deep, transformative work.
It’s not just about visibility — it’s about authenticity. I show up in my personal life with the same values I bring to my practice. I stay committed to my own growth, and to contributing to a more sex-positive, shame-free, and liberated world. People can feel that. They know when your presence is rooted in truth and honesty.
I remind my community that their stories and narratives are not fixed — they can be unlearned, unraveled, and rewritten. That pleasure is a birthright, not a reward. That radical self-love and acceptance aren’t just possible — they’re essential and powerful tools for healing and transformation. When people witness that message consistently, and when they see it embodied in the way I live and work, they come forward— to begin their own journey at exactly the right time.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eroticexpressionsedu/
- Other: https://linktr.ee/eroticexpressionsedu
You can learn more about my work and follow me here! This is a hub to my website, socials, blog, and educational offerings.
