Meet the TTT Team

Meet the TTT Team

Meet the Tickle Trunk Team Here are the funky, fun and knowledgeable people who work hard to help you have your happiest, healthiest sex life.

Brenda Hi there! I'm Brenda, the founder and owner of the Traveling Tickle Trunk. I manage the office and I also do a lot of the parties and presentations. I became a social worker around 1995 and focussed on counselling, education and crisis intervention for women who have lived through physical and sexual violence. In 1999, I got a job as an educator for the HIV Network of Edmonton. This was actually quite a laugh at the time because I was one of the most sexually sheltered and conservative people you might ever meet. That all changed very soon after I took that job. I began seeing a very adventurous man who started to teach me all about toys and a lot about sexual expression. Up until that point, I had never even held a vibrator in my hand! This lovely person introduced me to toys and showed me how much there was for me to discover about myself by exploring my sexuality. My personal exploration and my professional training merged and I began to learn a lot about sexual health. When I found out that there were companies that sell sex toys at home parties, I thought that would be a fun and positive way to do sexual health education (and to get lots of toys!). I started working for one of the many toy party companies out there. Because of my interest in sexual health, I began to research the products I was selling (like most home party companies, they didn't do any training at all on what was actually in the products). I was shocked to discover that many of the products I was selling contained ingredients that are not safe! I also began to notice that many of the products were very poor quality and would break easily. I started to look for a company that sold high quality, safe products. I wanted to find a company that had an emphasis on product knowledge and education. I wanted to work for a company that people could go to with their concerns and questions and get accurate, honest, non-judgemental information. I wanted to find a company that treated sex in a fun and respectful way, not as a joke. I could not find any company that did all these things. So I decided to start that company myself. In February 2003, The Traveling Tickle Trunk was born. It is my passion and my joy. It is a place where you can get the information, support and high quality products you want so that you can make your sex life the best it can be - whatever that means to you. It is a place where all of the staff are trained sexual health educators who really understand sex and pleasure. Your sexuality is a gift to be proud of, to celebrate and enjoy. We want to help you do just that! I love to chat, you can reach me with questions or comments or to book a party or presentation, at mail@travelingtickletrunk.com.

KoKo Hey my name is KoKo and if order something from the web, I am the one who will ship it to you. I have been interested in all aspects of sex for all of my adult years and most of my teenage years. I got in trouble in high school for handing out condoms and information to classmates since my school has an abstinence only program. I spent my 18^th birthday going to every toy store in my hometown. I have always tried to read as much about human sexuality and toys as I can get my eyes on. When I discovered the Traveling Tickle Trunk, I would come in and chat with Brenda and we would discuss all the latest sex news. I knew from the get go that TTT was a store that I could trust that was run by a woman I could respect. When Brenda asked me to be a part of the team in January 2011, I jumped at the chance! I knew this would be a great place to share the information I have collected. Being able to assist customers in the store really is a wonderful part of my job. From people choosing their first toy, to old pros looking for something different, I love to help anyway I can. Health and honest, factual information are some of my passions. I am usually in the store Tues-Sat from 1-8 or you can reach me at koko@travelingtickletrunk.com with any questions!

Dinah I have been involved in the health and wellness field for the past 8 years. After receiving my degree in Pharmacology at the University of Alberta in 1998, I completed Grant MacEwan's Holistic Health Practitioner program in 2003. For the past 4 years I have run Bear Hands, a complementary health practice providing Reiki, Reflexology, Wellness Consulting and Seminars. Over time my focus has moved towards women's sexual health, and I began looking for ways to educate myself in the field. In November of 2006, I began studying Women's Fertility Awareness Advocacy with Justisse HealthWorks, as well as taking classes with the Alberta Society for the Promotion of Sexual Health. That same month I discovered Brenda and the Traveling Tickle Trunk. Such serendipity! I loved the TTT's aproach to the sex toy industry being on health, comfort, fun, and pleasure, as well as the focus she put on training and understanding a wide range of sexual health issues. I signed up to do her staff training as a way to broaden my understanding of the sex toy industry. Then I decided to try some parties as a way to further my comfort level talking to women about a wide range of sexual topics. Well, who new how fun that could be? The Traveling Tickle Trunk parties were so much fun to do, and Brenda and the whole team are so fabulous to work and play with, that I have stayed on and am proud to be part of the official TTT team! You can reach me at dinah@travelingtickletrunk.com . (look for Dinah's fertility awareness sessions in our event listings!)

Lauren Hi! I’m Lauren and I have been working for The Traveling Tickle Trunk since January 2007. I am a teacher by day; however, I am currently working on my Masters degree in Adult Education. I have always been interested in sex education (who isn’t?) and when I was introduced to sex toys during a course in university (HECOL 211 anyone?), my curiosity was piqued. After meeting Brenda and learning about her women-friendly, sex-positive focus and her emphasis on quality toys, I signed on to do parties and I have never looked back since! I really enjoy meeting new people, having a great time, and talking about sex (who doesn’t love that!?!). Inevitably, I learn something new every time! I look forward to meeting you at a party soon! You can reach me at lauren@travelingtickletrunk.com (Lauren is currently helping us further develop our staff training and is also studying the role adult toy companies in adult sexual health education - she is not doing parties at the moment)



Lisha Why hello there! My name is Lisha and I have been part of the Traveling Tickle Trunk team since March of 2010. I have always been a very open/candid person and live by the saying, “don’t ask a question you don’t want to hear the answer to.” I am currently a teacher and have always had an interest in human sexuality. I am a jar of useless facts and love sharing any new information I obtain with friends. So when Brenda came into my Human Sexuality classes at the U of A with all her toys and lube I had a blast playing and learning about good and bad quality toys. I later had Brenda come and do a toy party at my house, but would get so excited over her products that I would interrupt her (sorry Brenda!) and say everything I knew about the toy. At the end of the party I asked if she needed anyone to do parties and to my surprise she did! Now the rest is history! One of the main reasons I choose The Traveling Tickle Trunk over other toy companies is because I personally could not sell something to someone that I did not think was safe for myself or anyone else. I also have a fantastic time doing parties, meeting new people and always learning new and exciting things! I appreciate the training and support Brenda gives our team and I hope to be with The Traveling Tickle Trunk for years to come! If you have any questions or would like to book a party with me please email me at lisha@travelingtickletrunk.com! Ciao!

Michelle I'm Michelle! I am pretty new to the Tickle Trunk team and I'm having a total blast so far! Doing parties for the tickle trunk counts among my many jobs including: playwright, director and music journalist. I got started with the Tickle Trunk in the summer of 2010 when I met Brenda doing some "routine" fringe business. I felt an immediate click with Brenda and when I saw that Brenda was hiring I couldn't resist! I have always been an avid explorer of sex and sexuality and the beautiful multiplicity of ways people have sex! The more I learn about sexuality and sex toys the more I see how much misinformation people are given and I want to change that-at least in whatever way I can. I am so thrilled to be part of such a wonderful and positive team! If you need to get in touch with me you can email me at michelle@travelingtickletrunk.com!

Tara Hi! I’m Tara and I have been working for The Traveling Tickle Trunk since July 2011. I am currently a 4^th year Women and Gender Studies student at the U of A, which helped to blossom my interest and knowledge of sex and sexuality. So, last spring when I went to a party that Brenda did, I knew I wanted to be part of The Traveling Tickle Trunk party team! I mean who doesn’t love spending their weekends talking about sex and meeting new people? For me, what makes the Traveling Tickle Trunk unique is the commitment to providing a safe, welcoming, fun, and sex-positive environment, especially for women, to learn and talk about sex and sexuality. As well, I love that The Traveling Tickle Trunk works hard to keep up to date on all the newest trends in the sex toy business and takes the time to research for only the best quality products. It makes it really easy for me to just relax and have fun with my job! I hope to see you at a party sometime soon! If you have any questions or would like to book a party with me you can reach me at taras@travelingtickletrunk.com.

Robin Hi there! I’m Robin, the store’s weekend girl. I REALLY love my job. I get to spend my weekends helping all kinds of people find all kinds of sex related things. I know a lot about sexuality, and I love to share this knowledge relating to safe, consensual sex- and inadvertently learn something new each day. I found the Tickle Trunk when (like many of us) Brenda came to give a talk in one of my classes. From then on, I would come to the store and hang out fairly regularly. The Tickle Trunk has always been a place I knew I could come to for good quality, safe toys. I found myself helping customers choose products best suited for them before even working at the store, and eventually realized it would be the perfect place for me to be employed! I am currently finishing up an honours psychology degree. I hope to specialize in sex/relationship therapy and talk sex my whole life! I love this area so much because I believe sexuality is really important in our relationships, with ourselves and others, and also because it allows for so much creativity. Each person’s sexuality is construed completely differently- so fascinating. I actually get excited to come to work as the weekend nears. I’ve been here nearly a year now, and still can’t get enough. Our staff is small, but I am surrounded by brilliant, progressive women. I am truly grateful to be involved with such a well informed team. So come in and play, I’ll be more than happy to help!

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Meet the Tickle Trunk Team