Melissa Vitale
Melissa Vitale
Occupation: Sex and Cannabis Publicist
Location: Brooklyn, New York
Hi, I’m Melissa. I’m the CEO of a public relations agency that focuses on sexual wellness, legal cannabis, and cryptocurrencies.
The Sex in My Business: Sex is a huge part of my business. I generate and manage publicity for products and brands that are treated unfairly by the media. I’ve represented queer sex clubs, sex educators, accessible vibrators, swingers cruises, and fiber supplements that make anal sex more comfortable. My job is to spread thoughtful stories about companies that might otherwise only receive sensationalist coverage or go ignored.
A Typical Day: Like all publicists, my days can vary, but on Mondays I generally pitch articles to editors about new products, gift recommendations, upcoming events, and ideas about the culture surrounding sex and sexuality. During the week, I’m out and about for meetings with clients and media personnel. I sometimes entertain at product launch events like cannabis speakeasies and events at sex clubs. But again, my routine can change if a client requires more of my time. Recently, I’ve been traveling to tropical locations with Luxury Lifestyle Vacations to help promote their adult-only, sexually liberating vacations.
The Best Part: The people I work with. My team, the clients, and the editors are all driven and passionate about promoting products that create more acceptance for queer and sex-positive communities. When I’m having a tough day, my team reminds me that our work helps lift the shame surrounding sexual desires and cannabis usage. I love knowing that our articles may be the first time someone feels normal.
The Worst Part: The stress of running my own business. During the pandemic, I lost clients at an alarming rate and it took everything in me to stay afloat. By November 2020, my business bounced back so much that I needed to hire more people to take on new clients. While I was grateful and delighted that my company survived, I’ve been spending more time managing logistics instead of working on content that destigmatizes sex and weed. A part of me would love to pitch stories all day and write about how to navigate dating apps or the dangers of anti-porn sentiment, but running a company is a huge accomplishment. I’m proud of it.
How I Got Here: I wasn’t diagnosed with ADHD and bipolar disorder until my twenties. Without treatment as a kid, I struggled in school and wasn’t encouraged to pursue a career. When I got to college, I had no idea what I wanted to do, and ended up taking classes with my friends in the communications department and eventually decided to major in it. After graduation, I hopped between PR firms, representing fashion clients and startups, but grew tired of working under unsupportive bosses. I wanted my own business. Luckily, a dear friend was launching a cannabis sex club and desperately needed a publicist, which worked perfectly because I desperately needed clients.
Growing up, my family pressured me to fit within societal norms. It was hard because I had always known that I liked both girls and boys, and wanted to be polyamorous. I also smoked weed regularly to self-medicate my bipolar disorder. I was convinced that I had to keep those parts of myself hidden in order to be successful. After seeing successful folks at play-parties, I realized I could incorporate these so-called shameful aspects of myself into my business. After that, I decided to concentrate solely on sex, cannabis, and more recently psychedelics.
What Society Thinks: Despite America’s prudish attitude towards sex, I believe the majority of people are excited and eager to learn about how to express their innermost fantasies. When I tell people about my job, I’m peppered with questions. People have asked me everything from whether it’s okay to watch porn, to how to coordinate a threesome. Even in Middle America, where you’d expect more judgment, I’ve found people to be excited about swinger cruises and play-parties because they can’t believe these events exist.
When I’m Not at Work: When I’m not working, I feed my soul with culture and exploration. I travel as often as my schedule allows. I take French lessons and I’m an avid reader and painter. I try to get back into nature whenever I leave the city. I love hosting movie nights laced with wine, snacks, and joints.
Published in Issue XI: Slut