EDITOR’S NOTE: Natalie Gaudette’s last name was misspelled in the original version of this article. It has been changed to reflect the correct spelling.

University alumna Natalie Gaudette isn’t afraid to talk dirty — in fact, it’s part of her job.

Gaudette, who graduated in December with a family science degree, now works full time as a consultant for Pure Romance, the popular Mary Kay-esque company that brings sex-toy parties right to women’s living rooms and has more than 75,000 saleswomen worldwide.

It’s an unusual line of work for a recent graduate: Gaudette spends her evenings throwing parties for clients, lugging around a big hot pink suitcase that’s filled with everything from body sprays and lip gloss to dildos, vibrators, butt plugs and strap-ons.

For Gaudette, though, Pure Romance is about much more than vibrating hardware: It’s about teaching women to have a healthy sense of sexuality.

“Everyone’s always like, ‘Oh, you’re a sex-toy saleswoman,’” Gaudette said. “And I’m like, ‘Absolutely not.’ Yes, that’s part of it, but it’s so much more than that — it’s about teaching women to be comfortable with their bodies and empowered sexually.”

Guadette became a Pure Romance consultant in September, working part time while she finished her final semester and hosting about two parties a month. When she graduated, she accepted a yearlong position with City Year, a Teach for America-like program that places young guidance counselors in inner-city schools around the country. It doesn’t start until August and pays very little, but Gaudette wasn’t worried: She had Pure Romance to hold her over and immediately transitioned to a full-time consultant.

She now hosts nine to 12 parties a month; February was especially busy because students wanted to host parties for Valentine’s Day. The average party order totals about $500, and 40 percent goes straight to consultants’ pockets, Gaudette said. Her monthly income depends on the number of parties and size of each order, but she said she has more than enough money to pay for all her expenses and save some for when she starts City Year.

“When I first started, I was like, ‘OK, cool, it’s a cute little company, I’m gonna have some fun and make a little extra money,’” she said. “But the more you get into it and meet other consultants, the bigger you see the company is. It’s so much more meaningful than I ever really knew.”

And in an economy in which so many graduating students are struggling to find jobs, Gaudette said Pure Romance has it figured out: The customers come to them, many not even realizing they’re hearing a sales pitch. To them, it’s just a party.

It works like this: A consultant books a party with a hostess who then invites about a dozen friends. The consultant brings all her products, letting the party-goers check them out for themselves. When the guests place their final orders, the consultant gets her cut, but the hostess also gets free products, depending on how much her friends buy.

When a consultant leaves a party, she’s usually met a future hostess who enjoyed the event and wants to host her own — and the party cycle starts all over again, Gaudette said.

Senior sociology and women’s studies major Patricia Tuon had a Pure Romance party with Gaudette in September for her 21st birthday. It was uncomfortable at first, Tuon said, but the girls quickly got into it, and the party was a success.

“I’m the outspoken one in my group of friends, and I’m the person they come to for sexual health information, so they weren’t surprised I had it,” she said. “It was kind of awkward at first, but I always talk about sex stuff with them, so they’re used to me being up-front.”

And since the guests placed such a large order, Tuon said she got about $100 in free products — exactly the birthday present she was hoping for.

Gaudette said this is typically how a party goes — the guests might be nervous at first, but she works hard to create a comfortable environment where they can ask questions and relax.

After becoming a consultant, Gaudette recruited senior economics major Brianna Buckley, a member of her sorority, to also become a consultant. That’s another part of Pure Romance’s business model — each consultant gets a small piece of her recruit’s pie, giving the women incentive to grow their “teams” and bring in more saleswomen.

Buckley, like Gaudette, was just looking for some extra money; she needed cash to pay for her spring break trip to the Bahamas. Seeing all the fun Gaudette was having — and all the money she was making — Buckley decided to sign up.

That part was easy; the hard part was calling her parents to tell them about her new part-time job.

“I was worried about what other people would think and about what my parents would think,” Buckley said. It didn’t exactly help that when Buckley called her mom with the news, her mom was using a built-in phone in her new vehicle — meaning Buckley had no idea she was on speakerphone.

Once the initial shock wore off, Buckley said her parents did some research and are now on board with Pure Romance.

“They’re supportive because they understand it’s about much more than selling sex toys,” she said. “It’s about empowering women, and I think that’s something everyone can get behind.”

With her spring break trip now over, Buckley said she’ll continue her Pure Romance gig until she hopefully gets a job with a bank.

“I mean, this isn’t exactly something you can put on a professional resume,” she said of Pure Romance, laughing.

For Gaudette, though, Pure Romance will stay a part of her life — even after she begins City Year in August.

“I never saw myself as an entrepreneur, but this really is my own business,” she said. “I have to market myself and do all the work. It’s more than just the products we sell — being a consultant itself is incredibly empowering. I could totally see myself doing this full-time for a long time.”

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