Michael M., known as Sexentertain_Mike on and off the boards, has been in the adult online business since 1998 when he along with his friend and business partner Patrick created the Sexentertain empire.Michael M., known as Sexentertain_Mike on and off the boards, has been in the adult online business since 1998 when he along with his friend and business partner Patrick created the Sexentertain empire. In general, Mike prefers to keep a low profile and doesn’t attend many industry events. He is however famous in certain circles in Los Angeles for being a great host with the private monthly dinners that Sexentertain puts on for local and visiting Webmasters.
LAJ: Mike, I must say at the outset that I for one really appreciate getting to attend your intimate dinner gatherings every now and then. Always a great group of people present. We’re honored to have you here this week In The Spotlight.
Michael: You’re welcome. Yes, I’ve broken my Salinger-esque silence to give YNOT an exclusive interview!
LAJ: Nice! So, tell everyone about Sexentertain. What do you offer Webmasters, and specifically how do you offer it?
Michael: Gracias, mi amigo! Sexentertain has its hands in a number of different areas. When we started we were primarily a leased content provider. As many Webmasters may know, over the years we have become one of the premier content providers and now have over 105 leased plug-ins and growing each month. Additionally, this year we have launched Sexentertain Cash (www.sexentertaincash.com), our affiliate program, with great success. We started with over 40 sites and have been so successful that we are growing that number to include reality and gay sites. We also own Mark’s Bookmarks (www.book-mark.net), one of the oldest and largest TGPs on the ‘Net.
LAJ: How do you set yourself apart from your competitors?
Michael: On the content side we strive for perfection and diversity. I think most of the content providers out there today offer a lot of specific niche material. We on the other hand offer our customers so much material in so many different niches that we can effectively fill up their entire members’ area with just our stuff.
LAJ: So you’ve been around since 1998? You’ve beaten the odds in this industry many times over!
Michael: Yes, since 1998… maybe it was 1999? I can’t remember any more in my old age!
LAJ: What kinds of jobs were you doing before Sexentertain?
Michael: I was a successful Senior Global Accounts Manager with SBC Communications where I was in charge of a sales team that was responsible for bringing the newest telecommunications innovations to the global market – specifically Fortune 100 companies. Jeez, that sounds like it belongs in a resume, huh? Most of my time was spent traveling internationally to meet with my clients, but it was actually wearing thin. Living out of a suitcase six months out of the year get old quick.
LAJ: I couldn’t even imagine. Two months would be my limit. What is your background? You seem to have a pretty solid understanding of business.
Michael: Sales… always sales. I graduated from U.S.C. (University of Southern California – Fight On!) with a degree in Business (Entrepreneur).
LAJ: Tell us what a typical glamorous day is like at the Sexentertain offices.
Michael: We roll in at 10:00 a.m., have a group meeting on Mondays and then everyone gets going doing their specific assignments for the day. We break for lunch around 2:00 p.m. and then work until 6:00 p.m. Some nights we get together for drinks or dinner. We are very fortunate to have a staff of men and women that are very laid back and easy going.
LAJ: Interesting to know of the structured, laid back and productive environment you have created over there.
What are some of your favorite things about working in the industry as well as your pet peeves?
Michael: I really enjoy the friends I’ve made and the way the industry is so close knit. I don’t care for the stereotypes and connotations that we are labeled with by people outside the industry. It really saddens me that people vilify us so much.
LAJ: Tell everyone about some of your hobbies and perhaps some private scoop about yourself that no one knows. Get personal… I want to break it here first!
Michael: Golf is definitely a favorite of mine! So are skiing and hiking. I even paint when I need to wind down. Hmmm… something no one knows, huh? Well, I’m religious! How’s that one? I can’t shake that Catholic school influence. Talk about a dichotomy!
LAJ: Wow… thanks for sharing that! Maybe I should start watching my language around you hahahah… Let me ask you though, how did you improve so drastically at golf?
Michael: Hahahaha… thanks, I think?! Well I guess I just got the “Eye of the Tiger!” Nah, I’ve been playing a lot more lately and Oystein has been giving me some killer pointers. I just let him pay for his lessons and then I leech off his knowledge… LOL.
LAJ: Ha! Well, it seems to be working.
Ever gone down in flames on the boards or on any projects?
Michael: On the boards… definitely. It’s easy for the little board rats to attack you and take your words out of context. I’m not bitter… can’t you tell? As for any projects that we’ve worked on… (knocking on wood) not so far. I’ve been pretty fortunate.
LAJ: Any new products or announcements from you guys that we can look forward to?
Michael: I’m glad you asked! DRUM ROLL PLEASE… We are going to be launching a lot of big things right before Internext in Hollywood, Florida. We have a new email collection program which will pay top dollar. We’ll be launching various new sites into our program. Included in that list will be one of the funniest and craziest reality sites ever… I can’t wait for this one! People are going to sign up just for the “train wreck” factor. And of course our content offerings will continue to grow. We will be launching at least one new plug-in per month.
LAJ: Nice! I can’t wait to see it, Mike, and I’m sure many other Webmasters would say the same! Thanks for your time this week, and to everyone out there, be sure to check out http://www.sexentertain.com and http://www.sexentertaincash.com!
Do you know a Webmaster with a great story to tell? Someone innovative, unique or perhaps even entertaining? Tell us about this person for future consideration to be “In The Spotlight” here at YNOTNews!
