The Birds & the Bee

Ep 18: "Coming Out" with Cassie Black & Emily Battles

"Coming Out" can mean more than coming out as queer. In Ep. 18 we explore what it means to come out as polyamorous, pansexual, a pornstar, a sex worker, and HSV (Herpes) positive. This week we feature writer/model/content creator Cassie Black and producer/director/actor Emily Battles whom share a baseline for what it means to perform in front of and behind a camera. Each situation is nuanced and comes with a different set of privileges, and each one has an individual experience. Battles discusses coming out as non-monogamous and bisexual in an Irish Catholic upbringing, yet Cassie Black, a sex worker, doesn't identify as monogamous. We discuss our given family vs our "chosen" family, the kinds of questions our friends ask us, and advice we'd give to our younger selves. Cassie Black also expands on her work with "Safe Slut" that focuses on destigmatizing herpes and opening up a dialogue about safe, slutty, and responsible sex. Happy Pride Month!
Cassie Black: thecassieblack.com
Emily Battles: See her new short series "Charms 4 Less" on TikTok @charms4lessseries

Ep 17: Swinger Couple Jazmine & JR Cruz Share Pole Dancing Stories & Tips (Part 1)

Jazmine & JR Cruz are swingers & NSFW content creators from the great state of Georgia. They also host their own podcast "Just Cruz'n" where they share their own stories about life on the road, being sexy, and making content. In this collaboration episode Jazmine and JR take turns asking Chelsea and Matt questions, and vice versa. They all discuss their non-monogamy origins, how Matt came to shoot NSFW content, Jazmine's stories around professional pole dancing, Chelsea's law background, and opening up about swinging in general with some laughs in-between. For more about Jazmine & JR visit jazminecruzxxx.com and mrsexybuns.com and look for their podcast "Just Cruz'n" on your favorite podcast platform.

Ep 16: "Play Party" Tips, Advice, & Games with Professional Party Host JJ

You asked for a play party episode and here it is! JJ works for NYC's largest play party, as well as running his own private events & freelances for other parties throughout New York. JJ's tips include how to function as both a guest and a host at a play party. Although the party he works for often draws in cis gendered couples, his advice is perfect for newbies as well as the veteran party goer because JJ's sober lifestyle proves that you can meet new people, express your personality, give/receive consent, and get some action without the need or pressure of getting trashed. JJ's focus at parties is as an icebreaker host: setting up games and wingman-ing people early in the evening before play commences, and he brought an example of a game that Chelsea & Matt play in this episode. For more about JJ check out his podcast "Sexie Show" where he plays games with models, creators, and other people in the play community. @sexieshow on Instagram, X, FetLife, and look for his full podcast on your favorite podcast platform.

Ep 15: Getting to Know Trans Mommy Iris Eclipse

Iris Eclipse dives into the world of digital content and interacting with her fans. She talks about the nuances of being a switch, the love but also mental work of performing different personas, authenticity, and the biological complexities of performing on camera. Iris also touches on fan expectations, straight men who secretly love trans content, and some advice to new creators and also advice to her younger self. For more about Iris visit comeseeiris.com

Ep 14: Chelsea Loving & Leaving New York City (Live Edition)

Now that Chelsea is back in the U.S. she recounts the moments leading up to her being forced to leave her NYC apartment last year, the plans she made traveling the world, and how those plans didn't quite come to fruition. She also details the complications of trying to date abroad, making content, and just meeting new people in general that may or may not know she creates adult content. It was a moment of needed growth, and she has an idea of how NSFW content creation will play a role in her life going forward and where she wants to be. Originally live streamed via YouTube 3/22/24.

Ep 13: Adult Creators Discuss Work/Life Balance

NSFW Creators Nova Rae (Twitter Nova_Ra3), Heath Avery (heathavery.com) Uptown Bunny (uptownbunny.com), and  TheUglyCouch producer Johnnyizz (Fetlife jonnyizz) discuss the work/life balance in terms of vanilla vs adult content work, but also scheduling, managing workload, using an agency, and self-care. They conclude by giving their younger selves advice.

Ep 12: Goddess Bats' NSFW Origin Story + Tips For New Creators

Adult content creator Goddess Bats (they/she) unpacks their experience transitioning through different adult content projects over the years, and shares anecdotes for new creators. Bats is joined by Heath Avery (they/them) and they revisit some of the FAQs that have been flooding their inboxes. There are also tips for solo male creators and a sidebar discussion on the soft skills it takes to be in this industry (hint: it's about communication). Goddess Bats then teases future education workshops and other projects. For more on Goddess Bats visit linktr.ee/slightlyboring and more about Heath Avery at heathavery.com

Ep 11: Non-Monogamous Dating with Date Coach Steve Dean (Part III)

In part III of our sit-down with dating and relationship coach Steve Dean, we unpack all things non-monogamy. A lot of the tools used in exploring non-monogamy can be used in monogamous relationships as well. Love languages usually evolve, and sometimes new love languages can be experienced through ethical non-monogamy. Steve goes over how to make the initial steps and stresses the benefits of running through hypotheticals, including going as far as having a "practice threesome" with a willing third participant and then re-evaluating his thoughts and feelings with his partner. Lastly, Steve reviews how to recognize bad actors and how to be confident in making certain decisions upon entering into a non-monogamous relationship. For more about Steve Dean's work visit dateworking.com or stevedean.substack.com

Ep 10: Dating Advice and A.I. Relationships with Steve Dean (Part II)

In part II of our conversation with date coach and dating industry consultant Steve Dean, we get back to the basics of dating advice for both online and offline (IRL) dating. How do you open up conversations? How do you get a second date? What are some creative first date ideas? These are gender neutral ideas for both monogamous and non-monogamous humans. In the second half, we discuss A.I. (artificial intelligence) dating profiles, adult performer A.I. profiles (OnlyFans, etc), as well as the pros and cons to having an A.I. therapist. For more about Steve Dean visit dateworking.com

Ep 9: How Dating Apps Failed Us (+ advice) with Steve Dean (part I)

You're not crazy, dating apps suck now, and date coach and dating industry consultant Steve Dean breaks down why. Steve takes Chelsea Bee down a wild rabbit hole of updated information on the world of dating apps. Steve's main assessment is that Tinder had a fantastic opportunity to lead the dating industry until they stopped prioritizing compatibility and replaced the industry model with the most basic forms of swipe-based attraction leading to less compatibility and more time to spend money on the app. It's not just you, dating apps made dating MORE difficult since their peak in 2014. Also discussed are fake profiles, the future of dating and AI, non-monogamy, and tips for people trying to date both online and offline. Learn more about Steve Dean at dateworking.com.