Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Lindsay Malu Kido. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Lindsay, thanks for joining us today. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?

The origin story of Empower Pleasure began half a lifetime ago when I was first exploring my own self-love. I was interested in finding a pleasure product but had zero ideas of how to delve into this exploration. So, I went to the only place that I knew of that had sex toys: Spencer’s in my local mall. I vividly remember picking out a light pink vibrator from a dark, musty corner of the store. I walked my box up to the payment counter with such embarrassment. As I was grabbing my $20 bill, I fumbled over the words, “Can I get a gift receipt? [Awkward laugh] It’s a gag gift for a party”. I even asked for a double bag to make sure the return to my truck wasn’t met with more excruciating awkwardness. Suffice to say, it was an incredibly uncomfortable experience. To the point that it felt “wrong” and gross.

Fast forward about a decade later, I came to the realization of how problematic that experience was. I understand now that there was no reason for me to feel ashamed about exploring my own sexual nature and my sexuality. The stigma surrounding sex toys is part of a larger socio-political problem that dictates that women, in particular, should not be sexual beings. Yet, around every corner, we are sexualized. Even today, in the pleasure industry, women are constantly being objectified and commodified for the purposes of “selling sex” as opposed to helping them achieve sexual independence and satisfaction.

Pleasure has a raw and sacred power that we shouldn’t be shameful or embarrassed about. So, I wanted to create a brand that was built on the idea of owning that power. It was important to build a platform that was safe, comfortable, and inclusive, unlike the many sex toy shops that I’ve been to in the past. Most of which were not catering to my demographic. So, I wanted to change the narrative of sexual health and wellness for all bodies and people. Therefore, Empower Pleasure was born from the need to normalize sexual pleasure and create safe spaces where all people can embrace pleasure to empower themselves. Through the marriage of activism and entrepreneurship, we’d like to change the world, one orgasm at a time!

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

ABOUT ME:

My name is Lindsay Malu Kido! I am mixed-Indigenous of the Kanaka Maoli and Uchinaanchu nations; I am also part-Japanese. I was born and raised in Hawai’i and moved to Las Vegas, Nevada (unceded lands of the Southern Paiute) in 2014 to pursue my lifelong dream of becoming a professional poker player. I live in the majestic desert with my partner in life and in business, Paul, and our fur children: Jax, the Husky, Kea, the cat, and Rocket, the Pomsky. I identify as a queer, pansexual, non-binary demifemale with sapiosexual preferences, and my preferred pronouns are she/they. I am also neurodivergent (ADHD) and have a physical disability that limits my energy levels and potential activities.

I am in the final semesters of my PhD in Indigenous Education, and my dissertation is entitled: Explorations of Indigenous Body Image & Body Sovereignty: Re-presenting Our Indigenous Selves through Stories and Photography. I have also studied Psychology for my Master’s and Bachelor’s degrees. Originally, I was being pruned to become a professor and take over leadership of my department at the University. However, the internal politics led me away from this career choice. During my academic career, I had the opportunity to travel the country to work with many other Indigenous nations for education and community engagement – that was my most fulfilling job to date.

Now, I am working on diversifying my work portfolio beyond professional poker and gambling. So, I am following another dream of mine; I am a self-proclaimed “serial social entrepreneur” with my two businesses, Empower Bands and Empower Pleasure. It is my goal to create capital while also sharing that wealth. I would like my businesses to directly support the causes and communities that matter to me, as a queer, Brown, Indigenous womxn. My parents have called me “their little activist” since I was five years old. So, I have always been deeply invested in being part of changing the world. My intersections put me in a strategic position to relate to many people, so I hope that these businesses can amplify and strengthen my communities and beyond.

I founded and run a non-profit organization, Beer is for Everyone, which is a media organization that serves to advocate for diversity, inclusion, equity, and justice through education and advocacy. In two years, we have grown from the ground up to a thriving community on social media and our online publishing platform. I am the sole operational person and am proud of our continued growth and betterment of the community.

Some other random tidbits – I am an empath, INFJ, ambivert, and am deeply spiritual and passionate. I am the epitome of a night owl and do my best, creative work late in the evening. I am a huge foodie and love to travel. I have just created a new bucket list item to try 1,000 different soups in my lifetime. I love watching sports. Oh, and a bit of a smart ass.

ABOUT EMPOWER PLEASURE:

Empower Pleasure is a radical, intersectional feminist brand specializing in holistic sexual health and wellness for all bodies.

Empower Pleasure is an e-commerce brand that has a vast catalog of sexual health and wellness products. On our website, we also publish articles on sexual empowerment, health, and wellness with a specific focus on intersectionality when it comes to pleasure. Through our platform, we hope to provide education and advocacy for all bodies to empower their pleasure. In addition, we donate a portion of every purchase to our community partners that are working toward sexual health equity for underserved populations. Lastly, Empower Pleasure works with and donates to organizations that serve to end sexual violence and sex trafficking.

Any fun sales or marketing stories?

One of my absolute favorite memories of making a sale was when I was managing a booth for Beer is for Everyone. We were selling our merchandise at a beer festival in Pittsburgh. After lugging five boxes of inventory across the country, I was exhausted by the time we started the festival. However, my entire day was made when someone in the crowd started screaming, “OH MY GOSH! It’s Beer is for Everyone! Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh!” It turns out that this queer Black woman was one of our original followers on Instagram over two years prior. She and I spoke for a while, and she began to cry as she told me how much it meant to her that Beer is for Everyone was doing real work to change the beer industry. She explained how she felt welcomed and represented. After talking, she purchased almost one of everything that we were selling. So, the moral of the story is to create loyalty by creating an environment where a genuine community can thrive. Building brands that stand for something greater than the products is how I’ve built each of my businesses. It not only creates loyalty but is also meaningful to be a part of something you’re passionate about. As a business owner, you need to care in order for your customers to care.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

One of the key lessons I am in the process of unlearning is the notion of “productivity”. Before, I felt that I constantly needed to be tackling my to-do list – because as every entrepreneur knows, the work never stops. If I was watching a movie or taking a nap or enjoying a dinner out, I felt guilty because I wasn’t being productive. There was this overwhelming sense that I could be doing more, and by not doing more, I wasn’t fully capitalizing my businesses’ potentials. However, I have come to understand that life is more than just work – more than just my businesses. What we refer to as “downtime” is being productive to the joys of living. I needed to unlearn that sleep and rest were a bad, “lazy” thing. So, instead of always looking to the future and what needs to be done, now, I choose to take moments of just being in the present. Perhaps, it doesn’t equate to more business success, but it leads to a balanced life. And, that’s success.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.empowerpleasure.com
• Instagram: @empowerpleasure
• Facebook: @empowersexwellness
• Twitter: @empowerpleasur1
• Other: Links for other businesses (if needed): Website: www.beerisforeveryone.com Instagram: @Beerisforeveryone Twitter: @beer_everyone Facebook: @beerisforeveryone Website: www.empowerbands.com Instagram: @empowerbands_official Facebook: @empowerbands_official

Image Credits
All rights to the photos are owned by me.