How a trailblazing business turned the hottest bedroom toy accessories into a $400-million global empire。

In 2000， Chris Cicchinelli was 25 and at a crossroads。 He had just been forced to leave a promising position at a large retail franchise when his mother， Patty Brisben， called。 She wanted her son's help in growing her women-only， in-home and virtual party business featuring relationship enhancement products。 Cicchinelli had been earning well over $100，000 annually at his previous job。 Patty said she could pay him just $22，000。 Still， he said yes， planning to stay just a few months to get the company - which would soon be rechristened as Pure Romance - on its feet。 But after recognizing its potential， he never left。 

Long hours on the road and a restyled business model initially led to financial struggles， and more questions than answers。 But their strategy ultimately paid off in explosive growth that swelled the company's revenues from $3 million in 2001 to more than $400 million today。 Its workforce of independent consultants now approaches more than 40，000 in the US and abroad， despite the recent challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic。 

In The Secret Is You， author Chris Cicchinelli charts his two-decade journey transforming Pure Romance into the world's largest in-home/virtual party company of its kind， while also sharing his innovative approach for empowering women to become successful entrepreneurs themselves。