Today we’d like to introduce you to Shanae Adams.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
My career began watching Talk Sex with Sue Johanson on late-night television after my parents went to bed. I loved that she made the topic of sex and sexuality so normal. Even that parts that felt awkward were par for the course and that things will only be as awkward as you let them be. I remember thinking to myself if this old white woman can have a job talking about sex I certainly could. As an undergrad at the University of Missouri-Columbia, I joined an organization called Sexual Health Advocate Peer Education (SHAPE). In this org, I took classes on human sexuality, workshop facilitation, workshop proposal writing, and classroom management. While in that org I felt empowered in my ability to have a career in sexuality education. After graduation, I got a job at Planned Parenthood of the Heartland in Omaha, NE as an educator. It felt great to be able to serve my community and normalize sexuality education, particularly in the black community. Before I started graduate school in 2017, I founded my LLC HonestlyNae. HonestlyNae’s mission is sexuality education, normalization, and melanated representation. Since its inception, I have taught over 200 programs, educated over 5000 students, and presented at over 75 conferences. I love my job and have been fortunate to turn it into a career that prioritizes the needs of my community and brings me joy and pleasure in every class.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The biggest struggles have been those that come with being an entrepreneur. In the beginning, my business plan was to hit the conference circuit, make sure people know my name/face, and generate buzz. I dyed my hair purple and green and would be gone for nearly 2 weeks a month to attend every conference I could. That plan cost a lot of money upfront and I had to manage to be a grad student and hold down a full-time job. As more and more people got to know me, I got more and more opportunities. Many of which in the beginning were unpaid. Now opportunities come with a lot more ease and I have landed some pretty great paying gigs but some months are harder than others. I juggle being an educator with being a licensed mental health clinician, and co-founder of a sex-positive organization. Sometimes I feel like I have too many plates spinning at once but I have great help and support to rely on.
We’ve been impressed with HonestlyNae LLC, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
HonestlyNae LLC is a sex-positive, pleasure-based comprehensive sexuality education and consultation firm. I specialize in delivering training, workshops, and lectures on different topics under the umbrella of sexuality. I can fit damn near anything under that umbrella. All of my content is presented with intention and an intersectional lens. I do my best to create education for identities that seldom get this knowledge. I always ask myself what identities are/aren’t in the room and what accessibility needs might people have? Prioritizing intersectionality in my workshops allows me to make space for the nuances that exist within sexuality given the systems people have to navigate. I am known for my dynamic workshops and my “chill vibe.” The majority of my class reviews talk about how normal and easy I make these discussions. That ease permits people to approach these subjects without fear. My favorite topics to speak on are anything at the intersection of black, femme, and queer. I also speak on kink/bdsm, kink as an intervention for trauma, pleasure, sex positivity, and anti-racism. The main thing that sets me apart from other educators is my background in mental health and my experience as a kink facilitator and practitioner. As a licensed mental health clinician in Colorado, I have a fuller understanding of the impact of sexuality while humans develop. I also know the pain and trauma that can come with surviving in sex-negative spaces and the tools that can help people make their way back to power. I bring my educator energy and willingness to learn into the therapeutic space to approach all my clients as individuals and collaborate on their healing journey. My experience in kink allows me to provide melanated representation to the realm of kink and I can offer education to others wishing to experience the empowering and liberating aspects of kink for their selves.
Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
In the next 5-10 years I would like to have a training program producing more educators with my brand of pleasure-focused, comprehensive, sex-positive sexuality education. I also want to impact the fired of sexuality education through research. I am currently enrolled at Modern Sex Therapy Institutes as a Clinical Sexology Ph.D. student. My research focuses will be interventions for making kink spaces accessible, welcoming, and non-harming to Black people. In doing this I hope to see a world where people can live in their freedoms and pleasures while celebrating the differences in our identities and accommodating our individual needs.
Contact Info:
- Email: honestlynae@gmail.com
- Website: honestlynae.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/honestlynae
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCopvQyGi8HGqFJeQjXxRm_Q
Image Credits
Mark Michael Photography
