Photo By Sofia Barriera Pinto Soares
The vision of Jincey Lumpkin remains clear: We’re not just building a brand; we’re cultivating a lifestyle and a community that celebrates openness, curiosity, and exploration in the realm of sexuality and beyond.
As a part of our series about women who are shaking things up in their industry, we had the pleasure of interviewing Jincey Lumpkin.
Jincey Lumpkin is a former Wall Street lawyer turned author, media personality, and entrepreneur. She recently founded Juicy Pink Box, an inclusive and sex-positive digital news site that aims to explore the full spectrum of female desire from a feminine point of view. She believes offering women a space to celebrate sexuality is crucial, especially in this Post-Roe world. In addition to women fighting to take back control over their bodies, Jincey Lumpkin urges them to demand authority of their desires too.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit more. Can you tell us a bit about your “backstory”? What led you to this particular career path?
My journey began in the small town of Carrollton, Georgia, where I grew up. My father was the mayor in the 1970s, and my grandfather was the mayor in the 1950s. Our family had generations and generations of lawyers and politicians in Georgia. But I had different dreams, and I wanted to push boundaries.
Like my father, I became a lawyer. I first practiced in Florida before moving to New York, where I worked in banking litigation on Wall Street. I quickly realized that my true passion was entrepreneurship.
My business endeavors have always been about challenging the status quo and leveraging media to bring sex positivity to the forefront. By embracing innovation and continuously seeking to fill gaps in the market, I created Juicy Pink Box so that women could feel comfortable exploring their identities and embracing their desires.
Can you tell our readers what it is about the work you’re doing that’s disruptive?
I want to become the Oprah of sexuality. That, in and of itself, is disruptive. I’m building a lifestyle brand; think of it as Goop meets Cosmopolitan Magazine. Juicy Pink Box is a playground for curious minds. It’s a place where exploration and education meet pleasure and empowerment.
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
Are mistakes funny? I wish mine were. When I first started my company around 15 years ago, I really didn’t have any frame of reference for what freelancers charge. Keep in mind, I was coming from the practice of law to the mean streets of business in New York City. I hired some illustrators for a project, and I didn’t know what to say when they asked me my budget. So, I asked, “What do you normally charge?” They told me twenty thousand dollars, and I didn’t know any better, so I hired them.
I would never, not in one million years, go for that now. But it was a good lesson to learn: you have to do research, have budgets, and negotiate. Otherwise, people will absolutely mop the floor with you, and you will lose a lot of money.
We all need a little help along the journey. Who have been some of your mentors? Can you share a story about how they made an impact?
My brother is a successful entrepreneur in the digital space. He’s the first person I reach out to when I need to bounce ideas or tackle a big problem. We both love negotiation. He and I have complementary skill sets, so having him as both a mentor and a peer is really helpful. Plus, he’s family, so whatever I tell him will stay locked in the vault. I’m very, very lucky.
About two years ago, I called my brother to talk to him about a business deal I was thinking of investing in. He sat on the call with me and ran the numbers. I was convinced I wanted to do the deal, and he heard that resolve in my voice. He said, “Jincey, you’re already too emotionally involved to make a good decision. I need you to take a step back and think about this logically.”
That sort of jolted me into reality, and I could look at the numbers in black and white to realize that it was a losing deal. I thanked him later, and he said, “The best deals you’ll ever make are the ones you walk away from.” And he was right.
In today’s parlance, being disruptive is usually a positive adjective. But is disrupting always good? When do we say the converse, that a system or structure has ‘withstood the test of time’? Can you articulate to our readers when disrupting an industry is positive, and when disrupting an industry is ‘not so positive’? Can you share some examples of what you mean?
Today, “disruption” is synonymous with innovation and positive change. But that’s not always the case.
Disruption is positive when it introduces efficiency, and inclusivity, or solves longstanding problems within an industry. It challenges outdated practices and replaces them with something better.
Disruption can be negative when it destabilizes essential services or disregards the value of existing systems that have proven effective. It might lead to adverse outcomes if it sacrifices quality for speed, overlooks ethical considerations, or creates significant hardships for those it displaces.
For example, I think Private Equity’s “disruption” of the eldercare industry has mainly been negative. Sadly, the loss of lives and the erosion of jobs show this.
In the context of media and lifestyle, creating platforms that promote open discussions on previously taboo topics like sexuality can be seen as positively disruptive. I think of Juicy Pink Box as democratizing information and providing safe spaces for learning and expression.
Can you share 3 of the best words of advice you’ve gotten along your journey? Please give a story or example for each.
1. “We are all at the edge of our seats waiting for you to be fabulous.”
That’s what a friend and frequent collaborator told me recently. He was encouraging me not to ever speak negatively about myself in public.
2. “When you give critical feedback, serve it as a shit sandwich: Start by saying something nice and complimentary. Then, give the negative feedback. End with something positive.”
My ex-wife was a super successful high-level executive at a Fortune 500 company, and she taught me the best way to deliver bad news.
3. “Do everything you can now while you’re young. Life ends before you know it. Give it everything you got.”
My aunt always encourages me not to wait to enjoy the fruits of my labor. She says that you often lose stamina as you age, so it’s essential to leverage the bravery of youth.
We are sure you aren’t done. How are you going to shake things up next?
I plan to scale Juicy Pink Box by exploring a variety of new revenue streams that align with our core mission of empowering and enlightening our audience. While I won’t divulge specifics just yet, I can say that these initiatives will broaden our reach and deepen our impact.
Collaboration will be critical to our growth. I’m particularly enthusiastic about partnering with a younger generation of provocateurs — creative, bold thinkers who bring fresh perspectives and innovative ideas. Together, we’ll push boundaries even further and ensure our content and products resonate with a wide and diverse audience.
The vision remains clear: We’re not just building a brand; we’re cultivating a lifestyle and a community that celebrates openness, curiosity, and exploration in the realm of sexuality and beyond.
In your opinion, what are the biggest challenges faced by ‘women disruptors’ that aren’t typically faced by their male counterparts?
People still tend to underestimate female leaders. We’re seen as less credible, less worthy of investment. Women in business have to work much harder for much longer to gain what’s automatically “bestowed” on men. But I see this changing, particularly as it relates to women investing in other female-led brands.
Do you have a book/podcast/talk that’s had a deep impact on your thinking? Can you share a story with us?
I’ve been working with an executive career coach, Rebecca Fraser-Thill, for the past five years. She recommended that I read Playing Big: Practical Wisdom for Women Who Want to Speak Up, Create, and Lead by Tara Mohr. This book was impactful because it gives you tools that help change your perspective on fear. Mohr talks about “unhooking from praise and criticism,” and this has been transformational for me in understanding that it’s not always helpful to have feedback from everyone. I now know that I have everything inside of me that I need to succeed in business and in life.
You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
At the core, my mission is to break down barriers and remove stigma from sexuality. I love Juicy Pink Box because it helps women see themselves better by contextualizing identity. Letting go of shame and tapping into our desire helps us feel less freakish and alone. Embracing our sexual power unties the strict binds of the roles society makes us play. That’s powerful stuff, and it’s real. Our lasting impact on a woman’s sense of self is incredibly rewarding.
If you really sit and think about it, each of us is on this planet because of sex, right? So, it’s bizarre in a way that we have so much trauma and shame around something that’s such a massive part of what makes us human beings.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
My mother (may she rest in peace) always said, “Jincey, only plant good seeds because you reap what you sow.” This taught me right and wrong from a very young age. My deep commitment to ethics guides everything that I do. I always think about how my words and actions impact others. I’m not perfect, but I’m never playing a zero-sum game. I always look for solutions where all parties gain something. Fairness and equity are very important to me. I’ve been blessed in my life, but I also see my many blessings as a reflection of the good seeds I have planted along the way.
How can our readers follow you online?
You can learn more about me and my work at JuicyPinkBox.com.
This was very inspiring. Thank you so much for joining us!
About The Interviewer: Vanessa Morcom is a millennial mom of three and founder of Morcom Media, a performance PR shop for thought leaders. She earned her degree in journalism and worked for Canada’s largest social enterprise. She can be reached at vanessa@morcom.media.
Originally published by Vanessa Morcom for Medium on June 16, 2024.
