Let’s talk shop—literally. In Navigating Sexual Wellness Retail, the founder of Stimulate, Nicole Leinbach Hoffman and Cat get into the nitty-gritty of showing up on shelves (and staying there). If you’ve ever wondered what buyers actually look for, how to hire smart, or how to make your brand matter in-store, this one’s your insider pass.
Key takeaways:
✨Nicole is a self-described retail geek focused on sexual health and wellness.
✨Retailers often struggle with understanding the unique needs of the sexual wellness category.
✨Emerging brands should focus on smaller boutiques before approaching larger retailers.
✨Participating in trade shows like Stimulate can provide valuable networking opportunities.
About Nicole | Stimulate:
Nicole Leinbach Hoffman is the Founder of STIMULATE, North America’s only sexual wellness trade show and conference, as well as Retail Minded, a well-respected industry resource for merchants and vendors founded in 2007.
With a passion for both retail and sexual well-being, Hoffman has made bold strides in supporting the growth of sexual wellness products in retail ranging – as Hoffman describes it – from “head to toe, young to mature, purpose to pleasure”. Hoffman is a frequent guest and contributor to various media outlets that have included The Today Show, Forbes, Fox News, Entreprenuer.com and countless B2B publications, as well has supported American Express’s Small Business Saturday as a Spokesperson in America and is the Author of the book “Retail 101: The Guide to Managing and Marketing Your Retail Business” from McGraw-Hill.
In 2022, Hoffman was recognized as one of Women Wear Daily’s “25 Most Inspiring Women in Retail” and has been on the list of the world’s most influential retail leaders from Rethink Retail since 2015. In 2023, Hoffman was recognized by American Eagle on a billboard in Times Square in NYC for being a Global Change Maker for her work in sexual wellness and retail collectively, and in both 2023 and 2024, Hoffman’s trade show and conference, STIMULATE, was nominated as one of Trade Show Network News best shows in the United States. In February 2025, Hoffman also received an award from China’s SHE Conference for her work in helping to grow the sexual wellness category in retail.
Hoffman is happily married and resides in Denver, Colorado, where she is also a mom of 4, 3 dogs and a Professor at Columbia College where she teaches Retail Marketing. Hoffman proudly describes herself as a “retail geek”.
You can find Nicole and Stimulate here:
Please support Nicoles’s foundation of choice:
Let’s connect:
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Sponsored By:
This episode is sponsored by STIMULATE: A B2B Sexual Wellness Trade Show + Conference, which launched in 2023 and is heading into their third year this summer. Their event, which is held in Nashville on August 4+5 @StimulatetheShow
Head South Partners:
-The New Way to Wash Hair - Hairstory- 1st-time customers use the link for discount
-Non-Hormonal Birth Control- Natural Cycles- Use link for discount
-Receive 15% when you purchase Wonderlust Mindful Intimacy Deck with code: HEADSOUTH15
