What’s the oldest profession known to man?

Well, technically it’s not a profession as much as a concept…Entrepreneurship.

Here me out, finding a skill or talent that you’re good at and being able to market that and make a living off it…that’s creative entrepreneurship.

You were thinking something else based off the initial question though, right?

Let’s dive deeper into a similar topic. In a world where you can sell just about anything, creative entrepreneur and author, Zane, found a way to male millions selling sex.

Sex, the most primal and pleasurable act seems like an easy product on the surface, but let's go deeper. Real deep.

As a black female, who grew up as a theologian’s daughter, some of her writings were more a way of safe exploration for herself in a world where female sexuality was viewed as sinful and wrong across multiple religions. So choosing to write about something so taboo was an act of rebellion in itself. Because of her family’s prominent role in the religious community, the pen-name, “Zane” became the author’s claim to fame.

Zane actually built her empire through tapping into the untapped desires of a marginalized group in the erotic literature genre; the black female. And while most assumed that it was the vivid and tantalizing steamy scenes created between the folds of the covers that kept readers coming back for more, it wasn’t (not completely). While sex played a part, it was the ability to create relatable characters that were dealing with trauma, pain, goals, and relationship highs and lows in a way that the black female audience connected with. But these characters were also taking control of their own pleasure and not feeling ashamed about it. The language was written authentic to her audience. Like sharing some juicy gossip with your bestie, instead of reading about some woman locked in a castle being ravaged by the local farmer... The genre of erotic literature was often told from one perspective. Zane gave it color. She focused more on shattering myths about female sexuality and making sure women no longer felt uncomfortable about their own arousal and fantasies. Hence her first book, which she self published:The Sex Chronicles: Shattering the Myth (it sold approximately 250,000 copies upon its release).

But the Zane empire spans further than just books, though since the year 2000 she has sold more than 2 million of them. Her best selling book, Addicted, was picked up by Lionsgate, adapted for the big screen, and brought in $17 million on it’s premiere. From books, to a sex toy line, a lingerie brand, having the highest rated adult series on Cinemax, and now her own erotic podcast (Purple Panties), Zane harnessed the power of maximizing her talent and adapting to meet the needs of a growing fan base while staying relevant with the times.