Interview de Rodeoh : Créateur de harnais à San Francisco

Lilou : How does it feel to be the founder of the company that changed strap-on sex for an entire generation? (Qu’est-ce que ça fait d’être fondateur d’une société qui a changé la pratique du harnais et godes pour une génération entière)

RodeoH : I know right?! To think that my knickers now have more then one function and live blissfully in the underwear drawer as the underoo of choice! In short, utter perfection, I tell ya. I can say, unequivocally, that it feels effing awesome-sauce. Though it is not nearly as incredible as making a product that promotes a body-positive upbeat lifestyle! I mean seriously,go us!

Lilou : What were you up to before you invented the best thing to hit the sex scene? (Que faisiez-vous avant d’inventer la meilleure chose destinée à l’univers du sexe)

RodeoH : I was an Unemployed Urban Dweller. True story. I was smack dab in the middle of scrolling Craigslist ads on the regular. I remember joking with a crew of designers, programmers, local kids at the coffee house, all incredibly talented with even more incredible portfolios. We were basically musing [about starting a company]. Like today. As in now. Pick an idea and run with it, build something, anything just so we could get noticed. So, we did! Mission SF Style.

Lilou : Your team and your brand is creating harness for stapon and pegging, both sexual acts which is a bit « off-limit », how the idea to create harness come in your mind ? &How do you qualify the brand « RodeoH » ? ( Votre marque créée des harnais pour pratiquer le strapon et le pegging, pratiques un peu « hors norme », comment cette idée vous est-t-elle venue ? Comment qualifieriez-vous la marque « RodéoH » ?)

RodeoH : RodeoH was a collaboration for sure. Initially, it was just a rudimentary crafty-cool underoo, with flimsy pieces attached to other pieces with string and duck tape. Well, maybe not duck tape, but you get the idea. After three months of developing, including – drum roll please – my mum’s 40+ years of quilting-crafty-expertise, the working prototype was born.

The second part was the name! Luckily, there was a pool of amigos to draw ideas from. Someone threw out “Rodeo” which immediately conjured images of “bucking bronco fun.” It was perfect, except for one little thing…it needed a finishing touch. That’s when we decided to insert the “H” for the “OH” effect. Rod-E-“OH.

Lilou : What was starting the business like? (Comment était les débuts de RodeoH ?)

RodeoH : It was start-up mayhem madness in the beginning! Think two years of 60 hours a week, eating $2 tacos daily. Thankfully, I had a wee bit of savings to pull through the first leg of the adventure, and if it wasn’t for our community, we would have never got this bad-boy off the ground. Seriously, the reason why we say the company is “Community Driven” is simply because RodeoH is 100% fueled by you!

Lilou : If i well understand, you ask participation of users/customers to find new ideas and advices. Why do you try to catch those feedback ? (Si j’ai bien compris, vous avez instaurez le principe de la « participation », vous cherchez activement des idées et des avis, pourquoi insister autant là-dessus ?)

RodeoH : YES! Absolutely! Over 65% of our products are designed according to customer requests. We are 100% community driven and want to design products for our community (ahem, that’s you!). So, if you have any ideas or concepts, let us know! We will put it on our design board for upcoming releases.

Lilou : Have you received some WTF/Weird feedback from customers about RodeoH Product ? (D’ailleurs, est ce que vous avez déjà eu des remontées WTF ?! )

RodeoH : When we first started in 2011 YES! We had to do a lot of education. People were very stuck on the idea of Strap-Ons looking like « rock-climbing-equipment »! & now, the RodeoHs are designed to look & feel like apparel, giving them a more natural feel. I mean, seriously, who doesn’t love to make-out in their underwear!

Lilou : From your point of view, why RodeoH harness are better that classic harness. Are you aware that doing pegging/strapon is much easier with product like RodeoH that classic one ? (Selon vous, pourquoi vos harnais seraient ils meilleurs que des harnais classiques ? Est-ce que vous avez conscience que c’est beaucoup plus simple de se lancer dans le pegging avec des produits comme les vôtres ? Le maintien est parfait et c’est vraiment très important pour les demoiselles qui veulent commencer à sodomiser un homme. (Ben oui, j’en profite pour vous dire que j’adore vos produits et le concept de « culotte trouées » !!)

RodeoH : A classic style harness is just another tool for the same function. We designed the RodeoH, initially for us. Before it was a RodeoH, it was a personal crafty project…we wanted an apparel-style item for ourselves. Something that was not complicated, easy to wear, & super easy to wash. After showing it to our amigos, the requests started coming in. We found that you can experience a closer connection with only cotton between you. & with so many different colors/styles available + an incredible simple slip-on design + machine washable = What’s not to like! & of course it is far easier to use! & more natural. There are no buckles or straps or fumbling about. Simply, slip-on, load & your ready to rock! No instruction manual needed!

Lilou : In France, pegging is a tabou sexual act even if many people do pegging and love that. How pegging/strapon come into RodeoH staff ? (En France, le pegging est un pratique très tabou même si beaucoup de gens pratiquent ou aimeraient pratiquer, comment est vue cette pratique chez vous ?)

RodeoH : Things are only Taboo until they are not! Let go, live-it-up, have fun, & relax….it’s just sex! Or as the next generationers love to say YOLO!

Y=You O=Only L=Live O=Once

Lilou : By chatting with you, it seems that your company is composed by some friends. Are are testing product by yourselves and together ? (Bon en discutant on a l’impression que votre entreprise c’est une joyeuse bande de potes, est ce que vous essayez les produits entre vous ?!)

RodeoH : Yes! We totally product test & enlist our community for feedback. In this scenario, we invite our customers to test new products for viability & those who send us in requests on new styles, are sent the new style to try-out & make-sure it meets their needs!

Lilou : At the moment, your brand seems to be related to a « sport style » and i think that you’re product are intended more for lesbian couples than straight one. Are you thinking to increase your brand to some more stylish stuff, more sexy, like some with garter belt ?

RodeoH : ABSO-FREAKIN-LOOTLY! Remember, we are an indie business in San Francisco & are starting to release more & more styles so please check back! & if you have a style you would like us to make = send us the deets! & we’ll rock it out STAT!