#66 - Madam Bella Cummins / Running a brothel the right way

On today’s episode of the podcast, we were privileged to be joined by Madam Bella Cummins, the owner and operator of Bella’s Hacienda Ranch, in Wells, Nevada. Bella’s Hacienda Ranch is the only legal brothel run entirely by sex workers, and it attracts customers from all over the US and beyond.  At 74 years old, Cummins is the longest serving living female legal brothel owner in the US. In 1987, she acquired the struggling Hacienda Ranch Brothel and transformed it into the famed "Bella's Hacienda." Leveraging her understanding of business and financial expertise, Cummins successfully turned the establishment into one of the most prosperous adult entertainment destinations in the state. During the COVID pandemic, when the legal brothels were shuttered by Nevada’s governor, Cummins creatively obtained an escort license for her business, allowing sex workers to sustain their income by providing non-sexual companionship services.  In an era when sex workers were often disparaged and marginalized, Cummins pioneered a revolutionary approach within the industry. As the only legal brothel entirely run by sex workers, Bella’s Hacienda eliminated exploitative elements, creating a female-led workplace culture centred around trust and teamwork. This environment allowed sex workers to find camaraderie, support, and personal growth, challenging stereotypes and fostering a more positive image of women in the adult entertainment sector. Check out Bella's Hacienda Ranch here: https://bellas.us/ Timestamps: 00:00 – Intro  02:06 – Bella's background 03:49 – Bella's experience of sex ed  05:23 – How Bella was introduced to brothels  09:00 – Bella's vision and mission   11:10 – Where Bella’s attitude came from   13:40 – Thoughts on Madams in other houses 14:26 – Lessons learned in life 16:14 – The difference between sensuality and sex  17:20 – Why Bella’s offers adult male virgins a discount 24:29 – Advice to young women wanting to get into the industry 27:06 – Bella’s relationship advice 30:26 – Bella's plans for the future   32:48 – Why there is a need for brothels  34:30 – Bella's message to listeners  36:04 – Conclusion -----------------  Check out our books, 'How to talk with your kids about porn' and 'The Organ Education Forgot', available at https://www.sexinspace.com/books to download or buy.  Follow us here: https://www.instagram.com/sexinspacedotcom https://www.tiktok.com/@sexinspacedotcom https://www.facebook.com/sexinspacedotcom https://www.youtube.com/@sexinspace For more info, check out our website at: https://www.sexinspace.com/  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.