Patty Brisben is Founder and Chairwoman of Pure Romance-- nation’s leading and fastest growing woman-to-woman direct sellers of relationship and intimacy products (a sophisticated collection of bedroom accessories, sexy bath and beauty products, lingerie, lubes, sex toys and more) – and she can’t be more proud of it.
It all started with an episode of the Phil Donahue Show back in 1983. Inspired on seeing incredible women taking control of their lives in a super positive way, by selling relationship products at parties, this single mother of four made a promise. She decided to get involved to make more time for her children and ultimately, to improve the quality of their lives. Next day, captivated and absorbed with these thoughts she called her friend. To her surprise, she disclosed going to a party the night before and cheered saying that she had a wonderful time. This gave Patty the extra push she needed to become then known as the F.U.N. Parties Consultant. Her success was so apparent that after just one year, she quit her job as a medical assistant to pursue her newfound passion as a full-time consultant. She quickly grew a successful business and thriving team, eventually becoming one of the top sellers in the company. But when after ten years, the company she worked for (F.U.N. Parties) folded. Patty became determined to apply her success toward her own venture and started Pure Romance. 25 years later, the company that started in the basement of her Ohio home has grown beyond her wildest imaginations-- its premiere line of products is marketed through a distinctive network of in-home parties organized by more than 30,000 specially trained or certified independent sales consultants throughout South Africa, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, and Puerto Rico. Pure Romance corporate headquarters is in Cincinnati, Ohio. The main warehouse is in Loveland, Ohio. They became a global business quickly and now have offices and distribution warehouses in Canada, South Africa, as well as Australia.
As Pure Romance continued to grow, Patty was joined by her son, CEO and President Chris Cicchinelli, in 2000. On the road more than 200 days a year, Chris is dedicated to training and motivating each and every Pure Romance Consultant. “He is innovative and pushes our corporate team to new levels every day and most importantly he’s an incredible advocate for women,” says Patty.
“Everyone has discouraging days, but in the end, my passion for the people and our mission always wins”
Their mission is simple: to empower, educate, and entertain women all over the world. Pure Romance consultants empower women to own their bodies and desires, they educate women with the latest sexual health information, and finally, they entertain women with laughs and a great time with their besties as they learn about bath and beauty must-haves and the best relationship intimacy products on the market. Thus helping women (consultants) fulfill their desires while offering them the chance to own their own business and achieve their dreams exactly the way Patty did. “I’m proud that our organization supports strong, passionate, and driven women who care deeply about our mission to empower, educate, and entertain women worldwide,” adds Patty. As part of their Pure Romance journey, every consultant receives continual training and support from the company, as well as from her fellow consultants at every step of the way. They thus become an integral part of an extraordinarily nurturing and encouraging network of Pure Romance friends and family.
Even so, starting a company that focussed on women sexual health wasn’t seen in a good way. “Along the way, I did very much encounter stereotypes—people who had certain ideas about women like me who sold intimacy products,” says Patty. “Some people wouldn’t let their children play with my children, and even my own family didn’t always believe in me.” But that didn’t stop Patty from building a multi-million-dollar international company and a potent resource for women looking to take control of their sexuality and finances. In addition, as an advocate for improving women’s sexual health education and research in 2005 she launched The Patty Brisben Foundation for Women’s Sexual Health. The foundation since its founding has raised more than $4 million, aiming to elevate awareness about these sensitive subjects while working with health care providers to help them improve the quality of life for women everywhere. Furthermore, throughout the last year, Patty has been actively working with the foundation’s board and local physicians/sexual health experts to launch a speaker series, called “Sexual Health Matters.” This series gives the public a chance to learn about various sexual health topics and get their questions answered by professionals in the field. It has been a huge success and was very well received by the Greater Cincinnati community. “Everyone has discouraging days, but in the end, my passion for the people and our mission always wins,” says Patty. Although Patty has distinguished herself as a catalytic leader in addressing important issues facing women today, she believes in to learning continuously and innovating to find better solutions. As a result, she can be found relentlessly attending several conferences, industry shows and working closely with the Product Development team at Pure Romance. This is because, as she puts it -- success is a continuous journey. “The day you think you’re a success is the day you stop growing,” says Patty. “Even though I’ve been in this business for more than 25 years, I believe 100 percent in staying a student every single day because there’s always something new to learn and accomplish. There’s always an opportunity to be better.”
As for naysayers throughout it all, she always recalled what she calls “why”, her reason for being a consultant, her reason why she started. So she didn’t let the naysayers keep her from fulfilling her dreams. “I always took the high road and told those people that I’m helping my customers own their bodies and desires, and I’m giving other women like me the opportunity to start a business and change their lives, too,” affirms Patty. All the while she learned from her journey that, “There are always going to be naysayers who think they understand your life and your struggles better than you do. You have to develop blinders to that kind of negativity. They’re not the ones standing at the plate; you are,” asserts Patty.
Keep Going
Her advice for women pushing past norms and preconceived notions is to stay on the rise, “I never told myself I couldn’t do anything. I always told myself that I could, and I think having that kind of mindset helps give you the resilience you need to succeed in any workplace” states Patty. She suggests women to never question themselves or their values. “You are worthy, and you always have something to contribute. Don’t let insecurities keep you from speaking up and making a difference in your organization,” adds Patty.
Patty Brisben, Founder & Chairwoman, Pure Romance
While growing as a leader, she expressed “it’s sometimes hard to admit there isn’t an answer. But when you are growing, innovating, and reaching new heights, you’ll find yourself asking questions that don’t have an answer yet. Don’t be afraid of that—be ready to seek out those answers for yourself. If you do, you’ll be creating one more stepping stone for the women coming behind you, with every single question answered (and challenge conquered!)”... and that’s her drive and that’s what she wishes for everyone...
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