Kristel Penn Presents “Finding a SWer Affirming Mental Health Provider” Workshop at InterNEXT Expo

LAS VEGAS, NV – Grooby’s Kristel Penn will present their popular “Finding a SWer Affirming Mental Health Provider” educational workshop this Friday as part of the InterNEXT Expo. 

“I’ve been doing this workshop for several years at our industry conferences and will continue to do so for as long as there is a need for it,” explained Penn. “Whether you already have a provider or are considering your options for mental health resources, this workshop is structured to empower performers to find a competent and affirming provider that fits their specific needs.” 

In addition to Penn’s responsibilities as Grooby’s longtime Creative and Editorial Director, they are an MFT (marriage and family therapist) trainee at the LGBTQ Center in Orange County wrapping up their MA in Psychology. Penn has presented educational workshops to both industry and non-industry professionals for over eight years at numerous conferences across the United States. In 2022, Penn teamed up with Domino Presley to offer group therapy and letter of support services through the ‘Jazmin Shibata Scholarship,’ a financial scholarship for trans sex workers founded by Presley herself. 

Penn is presenting “Finding a SWer Affirming Mental Health Provider (For Performers)” on Friday, January 6, from 1-2pm at the HERstory Stripchat Lounge: Meeting Room 5. 

The workshop description is as follows: 

Navigating the mental health system can be a labyrinth filled with confusing technical jargon, safety and privacy concerns, plus the fear of being judged and discriminated against because of your profession. Not to mention the extra task of finding a competent and affirming therapist who understands the unique concerns of being a sex worker.  This workshop outlines the different types of mental health service providers and other important terminology, how to find a therapist and select a therapist, and client expectations and rights.

For more information, visit https://internext-expo.com/. 

Grooby’s Kristel Penn to Speak at UC Santa Barbara’s “Teaching Porn in a Pandemic 2.0” Class

LOS ANGELES, CA - Grooby’s longtime Creative and Editorial Director, Kristel Penn, will be speaking this Thursday at famed University of California Santa Barbara class, “Teaching Porn in a Pandemic 2.0.” The Pornographic Cultures course is taught by Professor Constance Penley, who is considered to be one of the founders of the academic field of porn studies. 

“My students and I are delighted that Kristel Penn has accepted our invitation to visit my UC Santa Barbara class on Pornographic Cultures, now retitled as ‘Teaching Porn in a Pandemic 2.0,’” said Professor Constance Penley. “Over its 28 years (!), the course has featured an extraordinary range of creatives and other experts from the adult industry. As the Creative and Editorial Director of Grooby, an activist, humanitarian, and entrepreneur, Kristel will generously share her knowledge gained as an industry pioneer in trans erotica and as a prominent advocate for visibility and empowerment through sex-positivity.”

“This has been a longtime professional dream of mine to speak in Professor Penley’s class,” said Penn. “I sincerely admire the work Professor Penley does to elevate the discussion of sex work and the adult industry in a way that holds the complexities of our community. Professor Penley’s class gives the outside world a really valuable opportunity to learn about an industry that is often villainized and oversimplified in mainstream media. I’m honored by the opportunity to speak to the UCSB students about my career at Grooby and how it has given me a unique platform to speak on topics that are personally important to me, such as destigmatizing porn and its consumption, LGBTQ representation, and changing the narrative of mental health and wellness.”

“The students especially want to hear from Kristel about her work on destigmatizing the industry and porn consumption,” added Penley. “They also want to learn more about her commitment to creating sex-worker affirming mental health services for the adult industry. My students feel they have much to learn from the adult industry about unashamedly realizing their desires for creative freedom and political expression. None could speak to those desires better than Kristel.” 

Constance Penley is a Professor of Film and Media Studies at UC Santa Barbara. Now considered one of the founders of the academic field of porn studies, she co-edited “The Feminist Porn Book: The Politics of Producing Pleasure” with Tristan Taormino, Mirelle Miller-Young, and Celine Parreñas Shimizu.

ABOUT GROOBY
Founded in 1996, Grooby is the leading producer of trans erotica. In addition to operating over 30 membership sites, the company produces nearly 50 DVDs a year and hosts the annual TEAs (Transgender Erotica Awards) held in Hollywood, CA. More information about the two-day event can be found at theTEAShow.com.

For more information, visit Grooby.com or follow them on Twitter at @GroobyDotcom.

Grooby’s Kristel Penn Wins XBIZ Industry Exec “Community Figure of the Year” Award

LOS ANGELES, CA - Grooby’s longtime Creative and Editorial Director, Kristel Penn, took home the coveted XBIZ Industry Exec Award for “Community Figure of the Year” last night. 

“This win holds personal significance to me because the ‘Community Figure of the Year’ category feels like an acknowledgment for being myself,” said Penn. “I spent most of my adolescence and early adulthood trying to hide my authentic self because the people around me made me feel like there was something wrong with me. As I mentioned last night, I was the weird kid, and then I was the closeted gay weird kid. At Grooby, and for the last 12 years working in the adult industry, I get to be exactly who I am. I know there is great privilege in that, and I’m honored that I get to use my privilege, my voice, and my platform through Grooby to support and uplift the trans adult community.”

In 2017, Penn won the XBIZ Industry Exec Award for “Brand Ambassador of the Year” for her work with Grooby. She was also nominated in previous years for “Marketing Executive of the Year” and “WIA Woman of the Year.” 

“Congratulations to Kristel on her XBIZ win,” said Grooby founder, Steven Grooby. “I don't believe most people really know how much goes on behind the scenes and what she does to try and reach out, and make sure that people in the trans adult community and the wider adult community are doing well, or helping them if they're struggling. She's brought a number of initiatives to the table that Grooby has acted on, and more than she does personally and through her other platforms. We look forward to continuing to encourage and support her where and when we can.  Thank you to XBIZ for honoring someone who very much deserves a win this year.”

Penn continued, “I want to extend my sincere gratitude to XBIZ and my colleagues who voted for me this past year. I also want to thank Steven Grooby for taking a chance on me 12 years ago and for giving me the guidance and space to make a place for myself in our industry. I also want to dedicate my win to my Grooby partner-in-crime, Sparky Snakeden, who passed away last year from cancer. He believed in me as ‘Kristel Penn’ long before I did. If I felt like I wasn’t important enough or cool enough to be at a work function, he’d assure me I was and he’d accompany me with a confidence that I simply did not have. His support throughout our friendship has helped shape me into the person I am today in this industry.” 

In addition to being Grooby’s Creative and Editorial Director, Penn is also the Executive Producer of the Transgender Erotica Awards, created by Grooby over 13 years ago. In 2016, she started boutique PR and marketing firm, IkigaiMarketing.com, with a roster that includes many of the trans adult industry’s top performers. Follow her on Twitter at @thekristelpenn. 

Most recently, Penn started Sad But Rad Club, an initiative to change the narrative of mental health and wellness. More information can be found at SadButRadClub.com. 

ABOUT GROOBY
Founded in 1996, Grooby is the leading producer of trans erotica. In addition to operating over 30 membership sites, the company produces nearly 50 DVDs a year and hosts the annual TEAs (Transgender Erotica Awards). The 2021 TEAs will be hosted as a virtual show. More information about the event can be found at theTEAShow.com.

Visit Grooby.com or follow them on Twitter at @GroobyDotcom.

Kristel Penn Hosting Free Model Wellness Workshop Today at YNOT Summit

LOS ANGELES, CA – Grooby’s Kristel Penn will be hosting a free workshop from 4-4:50pm PST today titled, “Model Wellness: How and Where to Get Help When You Need It” as part of the online YNOT Summit.

“The purpose of this free workshop is to help those in the adult industry, whether performers or producers, find competent and affirming mental health care services,” explains Penn. “A complaint I hear often from our community is folks wanting to see a therapist but feeling like the process is extremely confusing and stressful only to have them receive subpar care. This workshop considers how the unique intersectional identities of the adult industry community affect how seeking mental health care is navigated and how it also informs the type of care people might need.”

Penn is Grooby’s longtime Creative and Editorial Director. She is an outspoken adult community advocate and hosts educational workshops across the country to help destigmatize the adult industry and the consumption of porn. Previous speaking engagements include the Contemporary Relationships Conference, Catalyst Con, Woodhull Sexual Freedom Summit, Kink’s educational series, YNOT Summit, and more.

“Model Wellness: How and Where to Get Help When You Need It” is a 50-minute educational workshop. Below is the workshop description:

Navigating the mental health system can be a labyrinth filled with confusing technical jargon, safety and privacy concerns, plus the fear of being judged and discriminated against because of your profession. Not to mention the extra task of trying to find a competent and affirming therapist who understands the unique concerns of being a sex worker. In this 50-minute workshop, adult industry advocate and MA in Psychology student, Kristel Penn, shares the 411 of different mental health services and its pros/cons (e.g. the difference between therapy and life coaching, different types of providers), finding a sex worker affirming provider, interviewing and selecting a potential professional, and navigating the system with/without health insurance. 

Those interested in attending may register for free at YNOTSummit.com.

ABOUT GROOBY
Founded in 1996, Grooby is the leading producer of trans erotica. In addition to operating over 30 membership sites, the company produces nearly 50 DVDs a year and hosts the annual TEAs (Transgender Erotica Awards) held in Hollywood, CA. More information about the two-day event can be found at theTEAShow.com.

For more information, visit Grooby.com or follow them on Twitter at @GroobyDotcom.

Grooby’s Kristel Penn Nominated for XBIZ’s Exec’s “Community Figure of the Year”

LOS ANGELES, CA - Grooby is proud to announce that their longtime Creative and Editorial Director, Kristel Penn, has been nominated for XBIZ’s Exec Awards. 

“It would have been an honor to be nominated in any category,” explains Penn, “but the ‘Community Figure of the Year’ award holds personal significance to me. Grooby, in many ways, is a small business and can’t compete with the budgets of the big studios, but we utilize all of our resources and pour it back into our performers. This includes concrete things like creating more opportunities for performers shooting with us, but also extends to less measurable efforts like increasing the visibility and acceptance of trans performers in our industry and supporting the trans community as a whole.”

Penn joined Grooby in 2008 when the company was still based in Hawaii. She is also the Executive Producer of the Transgender Erotica Awards, which celebrates the accomplishments of the trans adult industry. 

The annual XBIZ Exec Awards honors the best of the best from the adult business community, celebrating outstanding career achievement across a wide variety of prominent industry roles. Nominees are selected based on a range of success factors including business acumen, community standing and overall leadership.

Voting for the 2021 XBIZ Exec Awards is now open. Industry members may cast their votes here. Winners will be announced early next year. 

Penn adds, “As always, I owe a sincere debt of gratitude to Steven (Grooby). Through Grooby, he has given me a platform to use my voice and encourages me to do as myself. Without him, there would essentially be no ‘Kristel Penn’ as a public figure in our industry. 

To a certain extent, for anyone, it is a privilege to be able to live authentically both personally and professionally. For someone like me who grew up being bullied throughout high school for being gay and just honestly different than my classmates, being nominated for my work with Grooby and in the adult industry feels like being honored for my identity. Win or lose, I am grateful for the nomination and recognition from my colleagues and friends here.” 

Follow Penn on social media at @thekristelpenn on Twitter and Instagram. She also owns and operates boutique marketing firm, Ikigai Marketing. Visit the official website at IkigaiMarketing.com. 

ABOUT GROOBY
Founded in 1996, Grooby is the leading producer of trans erotica. In addition to operating over 30 membership sites, the company produces nearly 50 DVDs a year and hosts the annual TEAs (Transgender Erotica Awards) held in Hollywood, CA. More information about the two-day event can be found at theTEAShow.com.

For more information, visit Grooby.com or follow them on Twitter at @GroobyDotcom.

Kristel Penn to Present Mental Health Workshop at YNOT Summit Tomorrow

CYBERSPACE - Grooby’s Kristel Penn will be presenting a free workshop tomorrow on navigating the mental health system as a performer as part of YNOT Summit’s online conference starting today. 

“Now more than ever, many of us are in need of mental health support due to the stress of the pandemic,” says Penn. “Whether you have insurance or not, you deserve access to competent and affirming therapy. People attending this workshop will learn how to find, interview, and choose a clinician that fits with their personal needs.” 

“Model Wellness: How to Get Help When You Need It” is presented by Grooby’s Marketing and Editorial Director, Kristel Penn, and is scheduled for July 21, 2020, from 12-1250 pm PDT. The workshop description is as follows: 

Navigating the mental health system can be a labyrinth filled with confusing technical jargon, safety and privacy concerns, plus the fear of being judged and discriminated against because of your profession. Not to mention the extra task of trying to find a competent and affirming therapist who understands the unique concerns of being a sex worker. In this 50-minute workshop, adult industry advocate, and MA in Psychology student, Kristel Penn, shares the 411 of different mental health services and its pros/cons (e.g. the difference between therapy and life coaching, different types of providers), finding a sex worker affirming provider, interviewing and selecting a potential professional, and navigating the system with/without health insurance.

Source: https://www.ynotsummit.com/schedule/model-wellness-how-to-get-help-when-you-need-it/

For those interested in attending, please visit YNOTSummit.com to learn more.

Follow Kristel on Twitter or Instagram at @thekristelpenn. For more mental health resources, please visit AdultIndustryTherapy.com.  

ASN Lifestyle Magazine Snags Kristel Penn’s Ikigai Marketing as Publicist

CYBERSPACE - Award-winning online publication, ASN Lifestyle Magazine, officially announced Kristel Penn’s Ikigai Marketing as their publicist. 

“We’re thrilled to be working with Ikigai Marketing,” says ASN Lifestyle Magazine CEO, Michael Ramos. “She uniquely understands the ethos of our magazine and how we want to be represented in the digital space.” 

“When Michael presented me with this opportunity, I couldn’t pass it up,” adds Ikigai Marketing’s Kristel Penn. “ASN Lifestyle Magazine prides itself on authentic, shame-free living and that’s a core tenet of Ikigai Marketing. I want to help brands name and cultivate their own ikigai or ‘reason for being’ so that every business decision they make is in service of that larger goal.”  

ASN Lifestyle Magazine is committed to the Lifestyle community and promotes authenticity through healthy living and experiences. The multi-award-winning online publication is a taste-maker, arbiter of style, and prides itself on being at the forefront in the intersectional discussion about social behavior, politics, plus sexual and economic freedom. Visit their official website at ASNLifestyleMagazine.com.

Press releases can be directed to kristelpenn@ikigaimarketing.com. 

Kristel Penn’s Ikigai Marketing Featured in Voyage LA Magazine

LOS ANGELES, CA - Award-winning marketer, Kristel Penn, recently appeared in Voyage LA Magazine as part of their “Inspiring Stories” series. 

“I’m honored to have the opportunity to share my story with others,” said Penn. “When I tell people what I do for a living, the majority still have very outdated views of the adult industry, particularly their ideas of what it means to work in the business sector of porn. 

In the interview, Penn shares how she got started in the adult industry, what and who inspired her to create Ikigai Marketing, and her 11-year journey in the adult industry. To read the full interview, click here: http://voyagela.com/interview/meet-kristel-penn-ikigai-marketing-orange-county-ca/

ABOUT KRISTEL PENN

Kristel Penn is Grooby’s longtime Marketing and Editorial Director and runs her own boutique marketing and PR firm, Ikigai Marketing. She served as Transformation Magazine’s Editor for two years and is on the Board of Directors for TAIF (Trans Adult Industry Foundation). She is also the Executive Producer of the Transgender Erotica Awards, a two-event celebrating the trans adult industry and hosted in Hollywood, CA. 

In 2017, Penn was awarded the XBIZ Industry Exec Award for Brand Ambassador of the Year. In 2018, she received XBIZ Industry Exec Award nomination for Marketing Exec of the Year. In 2019, she scooped up nominations for Community Figure of the Year and WIA Woman of the Year. Recently she received the 2020 XBIZ Industry Exec Award nomination for Community Figure of the Year. 

Ikigai Marketing offers purpose-driven marketing and business coaching. In Japanese, “ikigai” means “reason for being.” Penn helps clients find the balance between their own personal and professional “ikgai.” For more information, visit IkigaiMarketing.com or follow on Twitter at @IkigaiMarketing. You can also visit KristelPenn.

Kristel Penn Snags Two XBIZ Industry Exec Award Nominations

LOS ANGELES, CA - Grooby’s Marketing and Editorial Director Kristel Penn snagged two coveted XBIZ Industry Exec Award nominations this week.

“It’s an honor not only be nominated for an XBIZ Industry Exec Award, but to be nominated in two categories that hold such personal significance to me,” said Kristel Penn. “In both categories, my name is listed amongst people who are doing such important work in our industry and who I’ve long admired since I started my career over ten years ago. Win or lose, I am incredibly grateful to be recognized for my work and to share this nomination with so many titans of our industry.”

Penn is currently nominated for Community Figure of the Year and WIA Woman of the Year. Winners will be announced at the upcoming 2019 XBIZ LA Show at the Andaz Hotel.

In 2018, Penn served as the Managing Editor of Transformation Magazine, America’s longest running transgender lifestyle magazine. As Grooby’s Marketing and Editorial Director, she is also the Event Producer of the annual Transgender Erotica Awards in Los Angeles, CA. Earlier this year Grooby created a free bi-monthly digital magazine, Grooby Girls, to provide business resources, community news, and more to the trans adult industry.

In addition to Penn’s work with Grooby, earlier this year she co-presented an educational workshop at Catalyst Con to discuss how to destigmatize porn and its consumption, with a focus on detangling shame and sexuality through self-reflection and open dialogue. Most recently, she enrolled in an MA in Counseling program with the long-term goal of helping create safe and competent mental health services to those in the adult industry.

“Mental health awareness is a topic that has long been part of my advocacy work on a personal and professional level,” Penn added. “I want to use my life experiences, which includes both my privilege and marginalization, to help destigmatize the adult industry and help provide competent mental health resources for our community. I understand the great responsibility of having a goal like this, which is why I chose to enroll in a counseling program this year. I wanted to ensure that anything I’d potentially implement would be competent, safe, and sustainable.”

In 2017, Penn won the XBIZ Industry Exec Award for Brand Ambassador of the Year. In 2018, she was nominated for Marketing Executive of the Year. To learn more about her, visit IkigaiMarketing.com and Grooby.com. Follow her on Twitter at @Kristel_Penn.

Grooby’s Kristel Penn Appears on ‘Breaking Bread with Brilliant Babes’ Podcast

LOS ANGELES, CA - Award-winning marketer Kristel Penn appears in the most recent episode of the Breaking Bread with Brilliant Babes podcast where she shares about her journey in the adult industry and her work with leading trans adult company, Grooby. The episode is now available to listen via iTunes or Soundcloud.

“It was such an honor to be considered a ‘brilliant babe’ and talk about my journey in the adult industry,” says Kristel Penn. “The podcast features people from all walks of life and the host, Tatiana, was so easy to talk to. In my lifetime, I’ve received a wide array of responses when I tell people I work in the adult industry. Tatiana welcomed me with open arms and I’m grateful for the platform she allowed me to have to discuss issues that are important to me, like destigmatizing the adult industry as a whole.”

In episode 019 of Breaking Bread with Brilliant Babes, Penn discusses her humble beginnings first working in the adult industry over ten years ago, tales from the frontlines as Grooby’s longtime Marketing and Editorial Director, and chatting about  award-winning series ‘Real Fucking Girls’ directed by Mona Wales. For more information, visit brilliantbabespodcast.com or follow them on Twitter at @BrillBabesPod.
 

ABOUT KRISTEL PENN

Kristel Penn is Grooby’s longtime Marketing and Editorial Director and runs her own boutique marketing and PR firm, Ikigai Marketing. She is the current editor of Transformation Magazine and is on the Board of Directors for TAIF (Trans Adult Industry Foundation). In 2017, she was awarded the XBIZ Industry Exec Award for Brand Ambassador of the Year and in 2018 received a nomination for Marketing Exec of the Year. For more information, visit IkigaiMarketing.com.

KEYWORDS: Breaking Bread with Brilliant Babes, Podcast, Kristel Penn, Ikigai Marketing, Grooby, Real Fucking Girls