Check Out Goody Howard’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Goody Howard.

Hi Goody, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story? 
My name is Goody Howard, and I’m a sexologist, educator, and consultant. Essentially, I connect people to pleasure with confidence, and I use education, exploration, and awareness to do it. My mission is expanding society’s understanding of sexuality, health, and pleasure with authenticity. 

As I’ve grown this industry, I’ve gotten more clarity in my business and how I want to impact the sex education space. Now, I have 3 business models in my work: 

1. Pleasure Development: I sell pleasure tools, teach skill-building workshops, and sell sex-positive t-shirts called “Goody Gear.”

2. Professional Development: I teach instructional and conceptual workshops in companies and on college campuses. I teach classes like “Sex, Gender, and Orientation,” “Reducing Microaggressions in the Workplace & Classroom,” etc. to educators, social workers, and health professionals.

3. Pleasure Professional Development: I support other sexuality professionals with project-based coaching to help them scale to their first 100k in business.

I’ve always been the “freaky friend,” lol. I was raised with a nonjudgmental idea of sexual health and pleasure, and people seemed to always ask me about their sex questions. I love learning, and if I didn’t know the answer, I’d find it. I’ve been in the game longer than Google (17 yrs.), so I was in the library with the card catalogue, lol. Over time, I started doing the home toy parties. It was like Mary Kay for dildos, lol. I had to make myself stand out from the other reps in the area, so I started doing oral sex and positions tutorials. As word got out, people wanted to book me for the tutorials by themselves. I did my research and found my own pleasure tool wholesalers and started askgoody.com. It was still a side hustle until I found the Women of Color Sexual Health Network (WoCSHN) and met hundreds of Black and brown women making their living as sexuality professionals. I talked to them about their educational backgrounds and decided to go back to school for my Masters of Social Work and Masters of Public Health. You don’t need all that to be a sex educator, but it helps when you’re completely independent, lol. 

We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Being a sexuality educator isn’t the most traditional line of work. My family and friends weren’t sure what to think, but once I met the women in WoCSHN, I knew I could make a living doing what I love. I got pushback from every direction. When I was single, dating was a nightmare because people made so many assumptions about how a sex educator moves through the world. Even now, as an experienced professional, I face censorship and discrimination. I’ve been booked by Meta twice but can’t run ads on their platforms. FOSTA and SESTA were legislation initiatives created to curb human trafficking, but lawmakers conflate sex work & education with trafficking, and they are not the same things. Not being able to run ads on social media has been a huge hurdle that I’m still trying to figure out. I know it is costing me lots of money in missed opportunities every single day. 

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
The thing I love most about my work is that I am making a living by doing what I love. I get to help people have more heathier, safer, and most satisfying sex and get paid for it. I’m known for being the kind of educator that makes complicated concepts easy to understand. I teach in all the ways people learn audio, visual, and kinesthetic. I’m most known for my workshops. RIDEology is my most popular workshop, and it was created to help people get on top with confidence, control, and stamina. 

I’m most proud of something that is VERY new to my business. I have collaborated w/ Relevant Laboratories to create a water-based, glycerin-free lubricant called GLOSS. I’ve super excited and proud of the product, and I can’t wait til the world does too! 

Do you have any advice for those looking to network or find a mentor?
I think as long as you’re not the smartest person in the room, you’re on the right track. I think mentorship requires a lot of the mentors, and we have to be mindful of what we’re asking of them. I find it helpful, whether I’m the mentor or the mentee, to focus on specific areas of guidance at a time. It keeps everyone from getting overwhelmed and makes it easier to focus. Also, the idea of one mentor for everything is counterintuitive. Different people have strengths and weaknesses. Engaging multiple people for various perspectives will give you well-rounded guidance. Networking at conferences and tradeshows that are unique for your industry is imperative, but it can get expensive. Be strategic about the conferences and organizational events you attend to get the most bang for your buck. Lastly, I suggest attending a general business conference or webinar at least every other year to stay current with trends in running your business smarter. 

Pricing:

• Private bookings start at 1k
• Speaking engagements start at 1.5k
• Online ticket prices start at $55
• In-person ticket prices start at $75

Contact Info:

• Website: askgoody.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/askgoody
• Facebook: facebook.com/askgoody
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/goodyhoward/
• Twitter: twitter.com/askgoody
• Youtube: youtube.com/askgoody