Kelley Cabbana. The name evokes the scent of Hawaiian Tropic tanning products, ocean breezes drifting beneath a shady palapa and umbrella cocktails — a total South Florida vibe — which is exactly what Cabbana intended.
Before she began sun-dazzling the web streams, Cabbana had a lengthy career as a mainstream clothing model, as well as a glamour model for the likes of WWFU.net and Harley Davidson. But her exhibitionist side kept pushing her farther. The ambitious Florida native has been cultivating a loyal following and diversifying her career in adult for almost a decade.
The launch of KelleyCabbana.com in 2011 helped solidify her as a force within webcam, but her successes on Vicky Vette’s Vette Nation — also known as VNA — have made her a star. Cabbana was nominated for AVN’s Favorite Cam Girl Award in both 2015 and 2016, and hers was ranked VNALive.com’s Most Popular Cam Show during the month of May 2017
Cabbana took some time out to talk to us about her career, the interesting nature of diverse broadcast platforms and the importance of marketing and PR, among many other things.
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YNOT Cam: How did you get started in the adult industry?
Kelley Cabbana: I began my career in 2009, and now I’m 35. I’m from Florida, and before entering into the adult entertainment world I was doing mainstream modeling. I also worked at my dad’s real estate company, and it was so boring. I always had a passion and a love of being in front of the camera. I created a model profile on One Model Place, and this is where Playboy TV found me and asked me to host Playboy’s “Foursome” show in Miami. I was so excited, I couldn’t resist. The “Foursome” opportunity opened up other doors in the adult industry.
Obviously bringing about huge changes.
My career changed overnight, and I couldn’t be happier. The best thing about my job is I love what I do and that comes across to my fans. It can be challenging, yes. Sometimes it’s the hours that can be most difficult. I don’t just work a Monday-through-Friday job between set hours. I work all the time, and I am always available for my fans. I even use Hootsuite to schedule posts when I’m sleeping. It might sound excessive, but there is a true hustle to being self-employed and a social media starlet too.
You’ve been a respected glamour model for a long time. What was modeling pre-adult like? How did modeling change once you were on cam?
Modeling mainstream is so different. The people I worked with in the mainstream industry could be very judgmental, and the [other models] were not very friendly. The one thing I can say about the adult industry is I have worked with some of the most professional people, and I have a great respect for the women I have met along the way.
When I first signed on as a cam model, it was a very different world. I had to figure out my show and what would work for me. I love the interaction with the fans. It’s one of my favorite aspects of camming. I love being watched, and for me, watching my fans while on cam as I perform makes the interactions that much better. That’s how I have grown my fan base. I will always love modeling; I am very passionate about it, too. My website allows me to share my weekly shoots (pictures and videos). I love that I can get as creative as I want to be with my scenes. It’s so much fun being able to express myself.
You broadcast on Vicky Vette’s VNA site, as well as on other, more conventional network platforms. What’s that like?
I have cammed on a lot of different sites, but my favorite is Streamate. Streamate has a lot of quality traffic, they always pay and they have been around a long time. Currently, I do a 20-hour weekly schedule on Streamate.
VNA is where I broadcast a weekly one-hour show, which has been an amazing opportunity. Vicky Vette is the owner and is an icon in the industry. I was honored to join the VNA live shows. It’s a great way to meet new fans and have exposure on all the other sites, too. VNA streams through my website so my members also get to see all the other VNA shows too.
As a model you pick the day a time you want to broadcast. Vicky only asks that you dedicate a weekly show, and in return you have this awesome platform inside your website for your members. This helps me with member retention, too. There are many members at VNA who have longstanding association and are consistently growing your fan base. I have sold new memberships, custom videos, and items off my Amazon wishlist from my weekly VNA show. I think monthly there are over 250 VNA shows. There is a monthly contest for top cam show, and I’ve gotten second place twice and the top spot in May 2017. My fans vote during the show, and the top three models win a cash prize and the honor every month. It’s a great platform for any cam model with a website.
There is some legit talent on VNA; that’s a huge honor, and a bonus. But for every bonus, there must also be some challenges. What are they?
The industry is always changing. I think with more and more performers joining the industry, we all need to make sure we charge for our services and don’t give away too much. I think we have to make sure we all are keeping our rates up so we all can make a fair amount. I know some performers give away too much. I won’t compromise my texting services or my show rates. I have had guys say to me this model lets me text her personal number for $25 monthly or Skype shows are free with a website membership. Believe me, I know the tube sites are giving away free content, but they are also mega-giants in the industry. We must keep our value as performers so we don’t continue to lower our rates and devalue our worth.
Sex has always sold, and it will continue to sell as long as performers hold its value. Being a cam model also means being self-employed. You have to work within the industry rates, educate yourself on the new trends in the industry and stay with what’s moving forward in technology. Joining industry forums is great to interact with other businesspeople, not just cam models. I like to follow everything that is going on, from tube sites to all the topics that are affecting our adult industry.
You have a publicist, and many cam models do not. What are some of the advantages of having that kind of representation?
I began to look at my next step for my career and was looking at what I was lacking. I felt like I needed some direction and guidance. I heard about StarFactoryPR, and I reached out to them. Tanya Tate is the owner and an icon in the adult industry. I’ve followed her career and felt very confident her team could help guide me.
The minds behind StarFactory have extensive years of knowledge of the industry. When you’re busy working from shoots to camming to social media, you’re so busy you don’t have time to think about interviews, appearances and opportunities to further your career. Since I have been with Star Factory, I have had opportunities that I wouldn’t have been offered otherwise. Having PR has taken my brand to the “next level,” for sure. For me, yes, I am a cam model, but I am also building a brand, and I needed PR for the branding piece. Having a publicist is an investment in myself.
Any words of wisdom for other models?
If you’re new to the industry, I always tell newbies, “be yourself and your fans will find you. There is only one you, and you have something to offer.” I see beautiful women of all shapes and sizes who are amazing cam models, and that’s what I love about this industry. You don’t have to fit into anyone’s ideal to be successful in camming. The only one stopping you is you. Good luck!
Find Kelley Cabbana on Twitter at @KelleyCabbana and on cam right here. See her on VNAlive here.
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