Math Magazine

Solving for Intimacy
2015 –2022

Math Magazine helped thousands of people live more authentic and fulfilling lives through a unique blend of inclusive community and content. The eponymous publication featured explicit artwork and writing, providing a revolutionary perspective in print media that gained international acclaim and fostered a global community. Over its seven-year run, Math Magazine grew far beyond publishing, to provide digital spaces and best-in-class events that brought together a diverse community of sex-positive people.

INDUSTRY CONTEXT

Founded and operated by solo entrepreneur MacKenzie Peck from 2015 to 2022, Math Magazine was a Brooklyn-based explicit media, sexual wellness, and events company.

In 2013-2014, Math Magazine emerged amidst a sexual media industry indifferent to crucial issues like sexual health, media literacy, and sex education. At launch, in 2015, the landscape lacked vibrant, contemporary sexual wellness brands or relevant educational resources. Additionally, prevailing sex education, often of varying quality, left individuals with limited exposure to reliable or relatable information.

By 2015, free porn websites, commonly known as tube sites, had monopolized sexual content. This resulted in homogenous media curated by a small, elusive group of individuals. Such monopolies stifle industry innovation due to a lack of diverse perspectives. The porn industry, historically a technology pioneer, has faced a revenue model crisis since, relying too heavily on ad-laden free video sites. The bar for content and experience was at an all-time low.

The most renowned and financially prosperous sexually explicit media companies share certain qualities. They predominantly cater to heterosexual males, depicting a restricted range of female bodies with limited diversity in body types, sexual dynamics, and racial representations. Notably, they lack sex-ed-informed content, regularly reinforcing negative stereotypes, and severely limiting viewers’ concept of what sex looks like and what qualities are sexually attractive. Led by anonymous men, these entities often exude an overall aura of "shadiness" with assumed questionable intentions.

This taboo industry is uniquely susceptible to political and social controversies, exemplified by the "culture wars" in the United States. Start-ups in this sector face challenges uncommon in other industries, including censorship, account deletion by social media platforms, and constraints imposed by credit card processors. Company dependence on corporations with "morality clauses,” just to do business, further complicated the success and growth of Math Magazine.

MARKET CONDITIONS

2015: The Shifting Landscape
In 2015, the publishing industry attempted to adapt to a landscape dominated by social media, with live and short-form videos gaining immense popularity. Mobile devices emerged as the primary tools for reading, accompanied by a noticeable decline in attention spans. Traditional print magazines, grappling with the changing environment, rushed to adapt their ad sales and subscription models, leading to many closures and consolidations.

2020: The Rise of Sexual Wellness
In 2020 the U.S. sexual wellness market surged to a valuation of $9 billion. The global sexual wellness market, on a trajectory of robust growth, is projected to reach $125 billion by 2026. This evolution underscores a significant shift in societal attitudes towards sexual wellness, presenting a burgeoning market ripe for innovation.

SOCIAL & CULTURAL FACTORS

The Impact of LGBTQIA+ Visibility and Sex-Positive Community
The ascent of LGBTQIA+ issues and sex-positive values into mainstream discourse significantly contributed to the rise of Math Magazine. A growing number of individuals sought alternatives to mainstream pornography, evident in the emergence of popular hashtags like #payforyourporn around 2014. Simultaneously, the sex-positive movement gained traction on social media platforms, fostering connections among like-minded individuals. This movement, a social and philosophical force, aimed to reshape cultural attitudes towards sexuality, advocating for the acknowledgment of sexuality as a natural, integral, and healthy aspect of the human experience. Key tenets included personal sovereignty, safer sex practices, and consensual interactions devoid of violence or coercion.

Community Building on Social Media Platforms
When Math Magazine launched platforms like Instagram and YouTube were becoming fertile ground for gender and sexuality discourse, leading to the formation of communities such as Women of Sex Tech, initiated by entrepreneurs within the field. These platforms were a space for the feminist, sex-positive, sexual wellness industry to flourish, facilitating dialogue and connections including Math Magazine.

COMPANY BACKGROUND

The Intertwining of MacKenzie and Math
Two pivotal factors paved the way for the launch of Math Magazine Firstly, in 2014 I was hired for a remote job, granting me the income and flexibility to move from South Carolina to New York City, where I knew I needed to be in order to start my business. Secondly, I had a very compelling sense of urgency. I understood I was tapping into a contemporary "gestalt,” and I knew I couldn’t be the only one. So, fearing regret if someone else made anything remotely close to what I envisioned, I felt I had to launch quickly.

Organizational Structure
Throughout our seven years in operation, I served as the sole full-time employee of Math Magazine. Bearing ultimate responsibility for all facets of the business, I strategically enlisted the support of contractors, interns, volunteers, advisors, and mentors to complement and enhance the magazine's endeavors. This flexible and collaborative approach allowed Math Magazine to thrive and evolve while maintaining a lean and efficient organizational structure.

Why Did I Create Math?
The genesis of Math is intricately tied to my personal journey. Fueled by a period of profound self-discovery and rich experiences, I created Math in response to the disappointment of not finding my narrative mirrored in the media landscape. As I delved into a world of learning and exploration, a yearning emerged to connect with a broader community through media, but the existing options fell short. The stark disparity between my feelings and experiences and the available media fueled the inevitable creation of Math, an expression uniquely shaped by my artistic background.

Why is it called Math?
A misdirect, a joke, a secret club ... Our simple cover and innocuous name have helped us get our message out to as many people as possible.

How Did I Get the Idea for Math?
The inception of Math occurred years later at a house party in Baltimore. Stranded among strangers, I stumbled upon a group of women ascending the stairs, exuding a sense of purpose and revelry. The scene I encountered, characterized by freedom, sensuality, and playfulness, left an indelible impression. Witnessing the spontaneous dress-up session, I envisioned a redefined, more inclusive version of Hugh Hefner and Playboy – one that I could create and get right. From that moment forward, with initial hesitation turning into obsessive dedication, I worked tirelessly to bring Math Magazine to life.

When Did I Start Math?
In 2015, while residing in a basement apartment in Ridgefield, Connecticut, I embarked on the Math journey. Working at the Aldrich Museum of Contemporary Art served as a temporary prelude before settling in Brooklyn. Armed with savings sufficient to print only 50 copies of the inaugural Math Magazine issue, I, with a BFA in studio art, entered the realm of publishing devoid of prior experience.

Come fall 2015, Math Magazine was launched with a logo generously designed pro bono. Content primarily originated from my circle, friends, and artists discovered through Instagram. Throughout Math's evolution, support—whether artistic contributions, financial backing, or volunteer efforts—flowed in from individuals deeply invested in our mission. Many artists and authors, producing taboo work unrecognized for its value, found in Math an avenue to share their talents with a like-minded community, creating substantial value for all involved.

Bootstrapping the Beginning
Math Magazine embarked on its journey as a self-funded venture, commencing with the resources to print a modest 50 copies of the magazine and the essentials for establishing a business—LLC, website, URL, and email. In the initial stages, all contributions and original content creation operated on a budget of zero. As the years progressed, the magazine's success allowed us to reinvest revenue into the business, gradually expanding our financial capabilities.

Evolution of Financial Strategies
Subsequently, we adopted a case-by-case approach, introducing paid opportunities for content creators, initiating photo and video projects with dedicated budgets, and venturing into the realm of paid advertising. This strategic evolution marked a shift from the early bootstrap model to a more sustainable and growth-oriented financial framework.

Crowdfunding for Expansion
To further bolster our financial standing, we engaged in two successful crowdfunding campaigns. One notable campaign adopted a pre-order style, rallying support for the publication of a color book. These campaigns not only infused additional funds but also fostered a community-driven financial support system, aligning with the ethos of Math Magazine.

Stagnation and Exclusion in Sexual Media
The sexual media market faced a profound deficit in innovation and inclusivity. Saturated with homogenous content, it propagated oppressive ideals concerning sex, gender, and beauty. As a millennial navigating the landscape of kink, alternative relationship styles, and dating, I found the existing options lacking a platform for community and connection. The absence of a welcoming, inclusive, and thoughtfully engaged space for content and community was glaring, leaving a void that resonated with individuals seeking similar experiences.

Social Need and Censorship Dilemma
The rise of social media presented an opportunity for people to connect around sexuality online, yet popular platforms were deemed impractical due to censorship fears and the risk of exposure to unintended audiences. The intersection of private and public aspects posed a high-risk scenario, threatening livelihoods, relationships, and family ties. The fear of close family members or colleagues discovering intimate aspects of one's life, such as a "sexy" Instagram account, created an impediment to genuine online connections.

Outdated Market Leaders & Evolving Consumer Needs
Market leaders, tethered to antiquated ideas and standards, mimicked one another, creating a vacuum of innovation misaligned with evolving customer needs. As consumers, lacking proper sex education, turned to mainstream porn for information, the industry's failure to adapt became apparent around 2015-2018. The top five companies failed to address contemporary concerns, particularly in LGBTQIA+, sex-positive, and inclusive spheres. Aesthetic productions were homogenous, low-budget, and disconnected from current trends, perpetuating a culture where sex and porn were not celebrated or discussed as part of broader trends, discourse, or culture.

Loneliness Epidemic & Changing Dynamics
Even before the onset of COVID, a surge in loneliness rates, termed The Loneliness Epidemic, signaled a societal shift. Symptoms included "skin hunger" and "touch starvation," intensifying during the pandemic. The increasing number of adults without meaningful relationships, coupled with declining sex rates and lower birth rates year over year, emerged as not just individual concerns but existential threats to humanity. Recognizing the gravity of these issues, I believed that fostering authentic connections and helping individuals embrace their sexual selves could make a meaningful difference, especially in the context of a changing societal landscape.

At the core of Math is our values, which we demonstrated in our content, events, and how we do our work. Here is an excerpt from our intern handbook, outlining our values. We’re aiming for a non-hierarchical and collaborative environment. There is incredible value in what every person has to contribute, and we want to honor that at every level of the company. Our leaders must de-center themselves from the conversation and stay open to what the team can give them, and those below them should reflect this mindset back.

Empathy: The work we do is incredibly personal. Whether it is a fellow Math employee or a member of the community, everyone is on their journey, sexually and otherwise. We believe in taking the time to understand where each person is coming from to provide compassion and support, wherever they are on their path. We know that it can be hard to have empathy for people with differing opinions, even within progressive communities like our own. We aim to put in that hard work and have those difficult conversations with people who don’t think like us, to decrease hate and shame within our society and move toward a more unified world. 

Optimism: Our hope for a better future is what drives us forward. When times are hard in our business or in the world, we trust that our honest work and good intentions will prevail and enact positive change around us. We think there is so much more to life than working for the sake of it. While you’re working here, we want you to find fulfillment that goes beyond a paycheck or a boost to the resume, and our optimistic pursuit to make the world a better place will give you just that. 

Respect: We want to foster a collaborative environment, in which everyone’s contributions are met with ample consideration and importance. The key to this is respect: for others, for their time, and for their work. 

Generosity: The purpose of a magazine is to elevate other voices and to give them a platform. This means that we put our focus on others, rather than ourselves. When it comes to money and acclaim,  we always think of Math not in terms of what we get, but instead in terms of what we can give using what we get. 

Humility: Math deals with very important and serious issues through our social justice work. However, we cannot take ourselves too seriously. We find that, in the world of social justice, to meet the serious work with an equally serious attitude leads to rigidity - an unwillingness and sometimes even an inability to adapt to a changing world. Instead, we approach our work with an attitude of playfulness and curiosity, so that we meet new challenges and new developments to the world around us with ease and even excitement.

Community and Personal Connections
We brought people together around a few essential ideas about acceptance, sexuality, connection, and joy. Our tagline was “safe, sexy, and fun.” Math Magazine events, both digital and in-person, fostered a unique community and personal relationships within the blossoming sex-positive community, especially in the NYC area. Networking mixers and public park photoshoots transformed strangers into collaborators, friends, and more, creating a vibrant and inclusive atmosphere. At our events, there would be random hook-ups and new friendships. Folks who met at our parties went on to make art together, get married, date for a year and break up, and countless other meaningful connections.

Core Value: "Walking the Walk"
An essential quality of our approach was our insistence on "walking the walk." To promote our values and market our products we would enact our values and goals. By embodying our values and principles, we empowered more people to join us. For example, not only did we say we believed in “radically inclusive sex-positivity,” we enacted it by publishing the widest variety of sexualities, body types, genders, abilities, and backgrounds we possibly could. This was one of the hardest aspects of our work because if people don’t see themselves in the media, why would they feel safe enough to do it? Through lots of conversations, our ongoing transparency, and consistently enacting our values, we were able to produce imagery and writing never seen before and a better reflection of real experiences than what is typically portrayed in our industry.

Inclusive Casting and Celebrating Diversity
I coined the phrase, "If you want your photo taken, you are a model." This approach to inclusive casting and calls for entry, allowed us to create very real, beautiful, diverse, sexy content. We invited everyone, all types of people, to participate and then we used our platform to validate and celebrate them. We worked tirelessly to involve as many people as possible in the conversation and we celebrated the most diverse range of expressions of what sex, sexiness, gender, and connection can look like. This commitment to inclusivity built a strong sense of trust and safety within our community.

Our issue release parties were renowned for their welcoming and sexy atmosphere, earning the reputation of being the sexiest and safest parties in Brooklyn.

Flattening Hierarchies With Community Participation
Our community members, also known as Mathletes, weren't just consumers; they were essential contributors to Math Magazine. They provided new ideas for us to circulate on social media, created new marketing content featuring our products, became our interns, and appeared in our magazine. We used the power and authority of being a cool cult brand and a magazine publisher to show Mathletes that they are sexy, beautiful, valid, seen, worthy of love, and the sex life of their dreams. The epitome of our user-generated content concluded with the biggest hit to our social media marketing. We and the Instagram project #loveandbutts, which created a deep sense of pride and joy. Our community shaped Math Magazine as much as Math Magazine shaped our community members.

Establishing Trust Through Public Service and Advocacy
Over time, we became a trusted authority by providing public service, health, and advocacy information and insights. This extended to news updates on our social media channels, reinforcing our commitment to the well-being of our community.

Exceptional Brand Loyalty
Our commitment to transparency and inclusivity translated into exceptional brand loyalty, reflected in robust pre-sale numbers for our magazines. Customers are eager to pay full price months in advance of the release date, demonstrating their investment in our success by helping cover the significant upfront printing costs.

“Thank you for being a part of my sexual education and journey in moving forward from shame and towards a more free and empowered life.” – Haley B.

“I want to let you know how grateful I am that you have made space for me in this Math world. It's been incredibly liberating. Thank you.” – Tripp Hudgins

“Forever grateful for your vision for elevating and expanding human sexuality” – Adam R.

Math parties are a place where I can feel totally at ease in my body and sexuality. Where I can engage with like-minded people in dance and pleasure. I left wanting more and more. – Anonymous

7 Years, 13 Print Titles

3 Podcast Seasons

13 Print Publications

30+ Events

100+ Member Discord

100s Of Contributors

100,000s Of Impressions

Oh My Sensuality Shop, Northampton, MA (2015)

Early To Bed, Chicago, IL (2015)

Bluestocking Cooperative Bookstore, New York, NY (2015)

Bureau of General Services—Queer Division (BGSQD) (2016)

Good for Her (GFH) Toronto, Ontario, Canada (2016)

TOMO Mags, Houston, TX (2016)

The Geffen Contemporary at MOCA, Los Angeles, CA (2016)

Skylight Books, Los Angeles, CA (2016)

Needles & Pens, Los Angeles, CA (2016)

& Pens Press, Los Angeles, CA (2016)

Atomic Books, Baltimore, MD (2016)

Casa Magazines, New York, NY (2016)

SHAG Brooklyn, Brooklyn, NY (2016)

Artbook @ MoMA PS1, Queens, NY (2016)

Tiny Hero at Little Skips, Brooklyn, NY (2016)

Tiny Hero at Baby Skips, Brooklyn, NY (2016)

Word Bookstore, Brooklyn, NY (2016)

Word Bookstore, Jersey City, NJ (2016)

Quimby’s Bookstore NYC, Brooklyn, NY (2016)

Quimby’s Bookstore, Chicago, IL (2016)

McNally Jackson Books, Brooklyn, NY (2016)

Ampersand Gallery & Fine Books, Portland, OR (2016)

The Mall, Austin, TX (2016)

Please, Brooklyn, NY (2016)

Museum of Sex, New York, NY (2016)

Venus Envy, Halifax, Nova Scotia (2016)

SODA Books, Munich, Germany (2017)

SODA Books, Berlin, Germany (2017)

Housmans Bookshop, London, England (2017)

Crush, Los Angeles, CA (2018)

New Women Space, Brooklyn, NY (2018)

The Great Eros, Brooklyn, NY (2018)

Barnaby Distribution (need to find them all) (2018) 

Good Vibrations SOHO, New York City, NY (2018)

Good Vibrations LES, New York City, NY (2018)

Good Vibrations, San Francisco, CA (2018)

Good Vibrations Berkeley, Berkeley, CA (2018)

Good Vibrations, Palo Alto, CA (2018)

Good Vibrations, Cambridge, MA (2018)

Good Vibrations, Brooklyn, NY (2018)

Good Vibrations, Seattle, WA (2018)

Juxtapoz @ Mana Contemporary, Jersey City, NJ (2018)

Other Nature, Berlin, Germany (2018)

Small Home, Brooklyn, NY (2018)

Kink Toronto, Toronto, Canada (2019)

Les Rituelles, Paris, France(2020)

Librairie Drawn & Quarterly, Montreal, Canada (2020) 

Prude, Los Angeles, California (2021)

The Chi Hive, Narrowsburg, NY (2021)

MagCulture, London, England (2021)

Edicola 518, Perugia, Italy (2022) 

"Each issue seeks to eradicate grief and shyness and instead encourage readers to experiment, explore, and learn about new desires." – Cultra Colectiva, 2017

“The business is fully independent, [queer]-owned and operated, and steadfastly sex-positive—a breath of fresh air in a genre long-dominated by industry oligarchies and, face it, straight, white men." – Creator’s Project, Vice Media, 2016